I don't think this was limited to the D&RG, but I don't know. I am going to be modeling the Chili Line into Santa Fe. I've seen photos of old Chili Line turntables, and they have something that looks like a big wooden lever sticking out of one end of the table at a 45-deg angle. I saw one that was so primitive it looked like it was basically a tree trunk with the bark hacked off, and another that was nicely made. Does anyone know what this is?
Back before they automated turn tables these levers were used to turn the train on the table. It would be placed in the slot at either end of the table and guys would start pushing against it...talk about manual labor!! John
Ahh, I feel enlightened. oh5qn: Gosh, how painful. I had considered that idea but rejected it: who can push on a lever and turn a steam engine? Unbelievable.
I think it took 2 people or so to turn a big engine, but a lot of the engines were not so large. The key was to balance the engine on the pivot point and reduce the weight on each end of the table. I am not sure, but if the engine was not approximately balanced, it would have been impossible to turn. On the larger, powered turntables, balancing the load made it easier to turn even with a powered turntable. Anyone know if the balancing requirement is true?
Yep...Usually called an "Arm-Strong" turntable. Believe it or not, it's not as painful (or hard) as it might first appear to be. Most of the "Arm-Strong" turntables were somewhat "balanced" in that if you were to center the locomotive's balance point at the turntables balance point, the turntable would teeter a bit...Standing on one end or the other would push the table down so that it would ride on the turntable ring. With the levers (poles) inserted into the table, you could turn a (small to medium sized and not too heavy) locomotive with only a couple of people. As far as I know, "Yes!" or at least very close. As you point out, a balanced load turns a whole lot easier than one that isn't balanced, even with "power"...
I think you are right about that. Its all about fulcrum and balance. I think we really need Wayne to weigh in on this one though!! John
I helped move an Armstrong turntable with a narrow gauge engine on it. Not so hard, actually I could have pushed it by myself. Tony Burzio San Diego, CA
Many years ago, when the Good Cheer was still running, the local chapter of the NRHS would hang it on the end of the Texas Chief out of Houston in the morning. The Santa Fe would drop the car at Bellville to wait for the south bound back to Houston. The old turntable was still there but not maintained. The drive motor was either disconnected, defective or gone. After the car was spotted in the middle of the turntable, they would used a wrecker truck to tow it around 180º so it was headed in the proper direction for an observation car.
