# Kitbashing my Atlas Turntable



## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

Hey guys, it's been awhile since my last post, typical busy summer stuff...

Thought I would take a break from laying roadbed and share what I've been doing. I decided to make a few modifications to my atlas turntable. I used an old girder bridge and some bass wood from the hardware store. 

Stock photo of the Atlas Turntable










My transformed Turntable



















I still have to do a little weathering but it's almost complete


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I like it! Very industrial looking!

TJ


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I was thinking of doing a similar thing but placing a larger track on top of the turntable. I think I may be able to add an inch and a half to the length of the track.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

I like that. Looks real great! This has given me a couple of ideas. 

Routerman


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

Could you tell me where you got the engine house from? I am looking one like that


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

Thanks guys!!

The engine shed is a Walthers Cornerstone Engine Servicing Facility. It was really easy to build, the shed has a door on both sides so you pass the engine all the way through if you like. I bought it from my local hobby shop


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

Bman...I really like what you have done with your Atlas turntable! It looks GREAT! I have the same turntable. I would love to do something like that to mine. If I had a second turntable on the layout, I would do it for sure! I use my turntable as a place to clean the loco wheels, and also to place an engine or car on the tracks, since it is a little easier to set the wheels on the rails on the turntable. I suppose it would be hard to do those tasks with the side girders in place, but I really like your idea! Great job!

Chad


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

Just thought I would add to this a little by giving a very brief review of my limited time with this turntable. This turntable has been in production for quite some time so I'm sure that this info is old news to a lot of you. 

Pros: 
Easy to install no pit to cut out.
Was easy for me to wire in a decoder (Digitrax 123D) and all the separate tracks.
Indexes to the track every time, It stops at every "station" for a couple of seconds with the track lined up, then moves on.

Cons: 
No pit and no arch, almost all of the pictures of real turntables I found on the web have a pit and an arch, I did find one pic of a turntable that had this same kinda wood base, maybe others could comment on this??
The way is stops at every station is really not that prototypical, it doesn't have that fluid movement when it's turning.
Overall looks to me are not as good as say, the walthers cornerstone turntable, but that's just personal preference

As you can see the pros and cons are a little redundant, overall I have never had a turntable before and I like this one. It's not great but it gets the job done, and for my layout, which will never be featured in Model Railroad Magazine, it works and performs good.

Let me know if I missed anything, or if you have additional comments 
B


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

B...one other con comes to mind, although I don't consider it a major one. The turntable is best suited for 4-axle loco's. Some 6-axle ones will fit on there, like an SD40-2, but most don't fit well if they even fit at all. I wish the turntable was a little bit bigger.

Chad


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

mr_x_ite_ment said:


> B...one other con comes to mind, although I don't consider it a major one. The turntable is best suited for 4-axle loco's. Some 6-axle ones will fit on there, like an SD40-2, but most don't fit well if they even fit at all. I wish the turntable was a little bit bigger.
> Chad


I agree. Most of my engines are 4-axled. I do however have two that are 6-axled (two SD40-2s, a Kato and a Bachmann), and as you pointed out, they do fit, but just barely.



Bman said:


> No pit and no arch, almost all of the pictures of real turntables I found on the web have a pit and an arch, I did find one pic of a turntable that had this same kinda wood base, maybe others could comment on this?? The way is stops at every station is really not that prototypical, it doesn't have that fluid movement when it's turning. Overall looks to me are not as good as say, the walthers cornerstone turntable, but that's just personal preference Let me know if I missed anything, or if you have additional comments. B


As far as the way it stops at each track opening not being prototypical, though I agree, I think that this feature was designed this way more for the benefit of the modeler. I also have the Walthers model (it's not in use) and though it does look more prototypical, I do like the mechanics of the Atlas turntable better. 

IMHO, if they came out with a turntable that had a larger diameter and looked like the Walthers turntable but ran like the Atlas turntable, they'd have something. I'd buy it in a minute. :thumbsup:

Routerman


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

Mr X and JZ you are right, I wish it was just a touch longer myself. I too have an SD40-2 and it just barely fits. That engine is quite long...compared to my SD38's and my SD9. 

Good Point guys!


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

Routerman and B....I am not sure what the Atlas turntable would be modeled after. I would guess it certainly goes back a ways to when loco's were shorter. The SD40-2 does seem to be long in the 6-axle class. The SD70's and Dash 8's really don't fit on there at all. Oh well...I have enough GP38's to occupy the turntable!

Chad


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

mr_x_ite_ment said:


> Routerman and B....I am not sure what the Atlas turntable would be modeled after. I would guess it certainly goes back a ways to when loco's were shorter. The SD40-2 does seem to be long in the 6-axle class. The SD70's and Dash 8's really don't fit on there at all. Oh well...I have enough GP38's to occupy the turntable!
> 
> Chad


Chad, Atlas has been manufacturing this same turntable I know since the eighties, maybe even before then. Back then it had brass rails in it. It seems to me though that I once read somewhere years ago that this turntable was modeled after an actual prototype. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was located somewhere in Maryland. Not only that, but I also seem to remember it saying that the prototype was still in use. 

Routerman


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

mr_x_ite_ment said:


> Routerman and B....I am not sure what the Atlas turntable would be modeled after. I would guess it certainly goes back a ways to when loco's were shorter. The SD40-2 does seem to be long in the 6-axle class. The SD70's and Dash 8's really don't fit on there at all. Oh well...I have enough GP38's to occupy the turntable!
> 
> Chad


Yeah good point here, I am modeling the 40's to the 70's so I was only looking at the SD40-2's and maybe the SD45's, also something like the U30C's from GE (I hope those engines aren't longer than the 40-2's) I wasn't thinking about the newer ones which are longer, I would have to imagine they don't fit at all!!


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

They make a larger version of the turntable that can handle engines like the Challenger I do belive it is also from Atlas.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I saw an artical in MR that used the Atlas turntable to power a larger pit. The modeler basically placed the Atlas table under the pit and built everything over it. It gave the advantage of the index track with a reliable drive train for a custom sized bit ans table.


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

tk...That would be a good idea to try, and I have thought of something like that myself along the way. I imagine I would opt for the easy route and just buy a bigger one, but I would be willing to guess that one could save himself a good chunk of money if he was willing to try building one like the guy in MR.

Chad


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## RailMix (Apr 4, 2011)

I have that old magazine somewhere and the pit idea is one of my upcoming projects. I agree it could be a bit longer, but for convenience I'm going to use an Atlas through girder bride ($2.00, swap meet) and cheat a bit by installing slightly longer rails. Reminds me, though, that I should check my E-7 for fit. My light steam all seems to fit OK. Biggest issue will be keeping everything concentric.


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