Largest Turntable in the World?

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 31, 2016 11:21 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

Dougvv wrote:

Hi,

IIRC, there were only two - both in Germany. The set up was that the original turntables could align and transfer a loco from one to the other directly.

I don't know about the two in Germany, but there is one in Prague, Czech Republic. Not only that, it appears to still be in service! In fact, this whole area looks like a model railroad, check it out on Google Maps, it's amazing.

I don't know if one could have lined up and transferred engines between roundhouses at Ivy City (Washington, DC), but it almost looks like you could have back then.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39289

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

I'm not really sure why they'd want to do that anyway. I guess maybe if one side was for heavy repairs and the other side was where they kept engines between trips.

The one in Prague does look to be set up for it, with a short section of track connecting the two tables that could only be for crossing over. I wonder how often they use it? There's a set of double crossovers approach the tables, so it would only be useful for going from one roundhouse to the other.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

This is as close as I could come to an original source:

Colfax, Washington Gazette November 17, 1911
The largest turn-table in the world is in use here (Malden). The roundhouse is equipped with ten stalls.

From this and the visible footprint we can scratch "biggest roundhouse" part of the story.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sun Jan 01, 2017 2:16 pm

One of the overlapping tables was at Hamburg Altona. The facility has been demolished but the pits are still there.

pwkrueger · **Joined:** Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:46 pm **Posts:** 72

Here is a photo of the Malden, WA turntable and roundhouse (8 stalls, not 10) from the R.V. Nixon collection at the Museum of the Rockies.

http://morphotoarchive.org/rvndb/rvnjpe ... o=RVN25843

I doubt it was the world's biggest anything at the time.

Paul Krueger
Seattle, WA

scottychaos · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:22 pm

John T wrote:

This is as close as I could come to an original source:

Colfax, Washington Gazette November 17, 1911
The largest turn-table in the world is in use here (Malden). The roundhouse is equipped with ten stalls.

From this and the visible footprint we can scratch "biggest roundhouse" part of the story.

pwkrueger wrote:

Here is a photo of the Malden, WA turntable and roundhouse (8 stalls, not 10) from the R.V. Nixon collection at the Museum of the Rockies.

http://morphotoarchive.org/rvndb/rvnjpe ... o=RVN25843

I doubt it was the world's biggest anything at the time.

Paul Krueger
Seattle, WA

Largest turntable in the world in 1911?
umm..no, not even close.
probably not even in the top 200 at that time.

I think that has to be chalked to up an extremely ignorant newspaper reporter..or a very gullible one, who was fed a tall-tale by railroad employees, and believed it as fact.

Scot

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:04 am

Why am I reminded of the common claim of "this business car was used by President [Fill-in-the-Blank]"?

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Dougvv · **Joined:** Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:52 pm **Posts:** 914

Hi,

Quote:

Why am I reminded of the common claim of "this business car was used by President [Fill-in-the-Blank]"?

I recall when I was in High School (c1971-2) I found out about the Southeastern Railroad Museum and started volunteering. I was impressed with the wood passenger car that was "The President's Car." I made the incorrect assumption that it was the President of the United States. I later understood it was a private car for A president of some corporation (I do not recall if it was a railroad or not).

;)

Doug vV

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:49 am

I suppose I should have clarified that I was referring to claimed usage by Presidents of the political sort, as usage of business cars by railroad executives is easier to determine/verify.

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rcw7585 · **Joined:** Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:25 am **Posts:** 85

dinwitty wrote:

where was this -double turntable- that was sorta interleaved into each other somewhere I think was posted here not too long ago? perhaps not the largest but certainly unique...

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38914

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

pwkrueger wrote:

Here is a photo of the Malden, WA turntable and roundhouse (8 stalls, not 10) from the R.V. Nixon collection at the Museum of the Rockies.

http://morphotoarchive.org/rvndb/rvnjpe ... o=RVN25843

I doubt it was the world's biggest anything at the time.

Paul Krueger
Seattle, WA

That's why I asked, I also was having a hard time believing it.

"No, I said 'Largest in the COUNTY!' dammit" :)