15. 12 May 2025 The Turntables

I built a turntable on the end of "Ringbalin Yard" and Branyan Yard" they are at the extreme ends of the line.

They are used to turn locos around so that they can head back the way they have come without running in reverse.  There is very little room at the end of the shelves so a Turntable was really the only option when compared to using either using a Balloon Loop or a Wye.

The turntable at Ringbalin has a short line that allows me to run the locos onto "cassettes" which I can lift out and store underneath it.  This lets me drive on & drive off locos onto or off the layout with ease and saves me having to line up wheels etc  

As the base I used a 300mm "Lazy Susan Bearing Plate" from a local hardware store rated at 225Kg for the Pivot.

Lazy Susan Bearing Plate

 

 

 

 

Lazy Susan Bearing Plate

 

 

 

 

I cut the pit base and the sides from a 1200x1200mm sheet of 12mm plywood.

The turning part of the turntable is 970mm long which is long enough for my longest loco; a 1:20.3 Three Truck Shay.

There are 4 tracks leading to each turntable with alignment being done by sliding bolts with aligning sockets on the ends of each entry rail, these will keep the track in place both laterally and vertically to eliminate any bumps caused by uneven track.

Below are pictures of each turntable with my 1:20.3 Bachmann Consolidation (Connie); one of my larger locos.

Entry to Turntable

Being Turned

After Being Turned

Exit from Turntable

Branyan Turntable

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14 12 May 2026 Branyan Yard is now Complete

Branyan Yard is now finished this marks the end of track laying for the point to point line of the Uppen Down Railway.

The benchwork are made from racking that I had and some I salvaged from a workshop that was being remodeled.

On one side is a wharf complex with coal, gravel, timber loading facilities to handle the raw materials and some manufactured goods produced in the Kepnock Valley.  These are loaded onto river barges for transport down river to the port at the mouth and loading onto ships.  This all happens out of sight at another assumed part of the Kepnock Valley. 

On the other side there is a Good Shed complex for the temporary storage for the manufactured goods prior to their being loaded onto the barges.  

At one end there is a turntable used to turn locos around so that they can head back the way they have come without running in reverse.  A run around track down the side behind the goods shed allows locos to move from the turntable back to the yard throat after they have been turned A turntable was decided upon because it was really the only option when compared to using either using a Balloon Loop or a Wye.

The "Wharf" lines are treated as a separate district for operational purposes with an Ethanol loading facility forcing closure during loading mostly due to a fire hazard with steam locos. 

The yard "Throat" consists of 3 sets of points that are 3D printed, at the ends of the "Wharf" lines there are 3D printed buffers, it is here that the Ethanol storage tank will be located.

 

Branyan Yard from the Throat end

  

  

Branyan Yard from Turntable end. Run around on the right 

Yard Throat

 

Wharf 3 Way Point

Wharf end Buffers

 

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