I have been asked to check to see what might be available in the way of turntables, between 75 and 100' in length. Please restrict these to tables not currently owned by large railroads, unless it is known for certain that they are surplus and available.

They would need to be in decent structural condition with all parts present and accounted for (center bearing, wheels, etc).

I have already passed on the current listings from Sterling and mentioned the over-length one on DF Barnhardt.

Does your museum or railroad have a turntable fitting this description? Thanks!

Steve Hunter

IRM has an 85ft table that is on the disposition list since we acquired a 130ft table last year.

Jamie

Steve,
Assuming this is for the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario which you are involved, I thought Canadian Pacific already donated the 100' Smith Falls turntable to the RMEO 4 or 5 years ago.... http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... rn-ontario

I'm not at liberty to discuss who is looking at the moment.

RMEO did indeed receive the donation of the CPR Smiths Falls turntable, I had arrangedthe donation, the logistics of the move, and was actively fundraising with good success in the summer of 2012 when I dropped dead from a cardiac arrest.

During the following nine weeks while I was in hospital, nobody saw fit to pick up the ball and the board panicked, declining the donation. Too late for that one now, long since scrapped, and needless to say any volunteering I do for the museum now is on a limited basis and I won't stick my neck out again. Harm my reputation once, don't bother asking for help again.

However, seeing a listing of tables that are available would be useful for many organizations.

Steve Hunter

There was one sitting in the old rail yard at Elkins, WV a few months ago. I believe it came from the Chicago Belt Railway. The rumor was that it was heading to Virginia for some unnamed operation there. At one time, there was a plan to create a railroad museum at Elkins, but apparantly that plan is now dead. I think the turntable was owned by the WV railroad authority. You might want to check with them to see if it is still available.

The turntable in Elkins is 90 feet long and did come from the Belt Ry of Chicago.

I believe that's my picture (posted some time ago on this board) of the Elkins turntable. However the picture isn't from a few months ago, but October 2015. I'm surprised it's still there.

-Philip Marshall

I can't personally confirm but, my understanding is that it has been sold.

Check the "Classifieds" on this board. Sterling has one for sale--they say 110 feet, but someone else posted that it was only 90 feet.

The newsletter of the then Association of Railway Museums had a major write up on turntables; active, in storage and available. Two or three years ago.

maybe a reader can supply the date or issue number.

Ted Miles, Western Railway Museum

So i visited the F.M. Smith Library today.

The article I was thinging of on turntables is in the
Railway Museum Quarterly/Trainline #2 Fall 2010
pages 13-20 illustrated.

Some information may be out of date but there sure is a lot there!

Ted Miles

PS I thought is was just a couple of years ago; but time fly's when you are having fun!

TM

As the author of that article I'd suggest searching for "turntable" on this site for more recent information and updstes.

Steve, I'm not sure whether you're still on the lookout, but IRM is disposing of an 85' turntable. It's complete with center bearing, ring rails, etc and is sitting above-ground at IRM's site in Union, IL. See the Classifieds for the complete listing and contact info.

Thanks, Frank! I've passed on the reply... I'm not directly involved, so I don't know the current status of the search.

Steve Hunter

Well, my mistake, the turntable currently available from IRM is actually an 80' turntable and not an 85' turntable as previously stated. Oops! Photo of the museum's interpretive sign is attached. The "Classifieds" listing has also been corrected and has contact information for anyone interested in preserving this artifact.