In Cleveland, MS, this turntable was not repurposed as a museum or a cultural attraction. Rather, it was retained smack in a the middle of a new housing development. Have a look at the map linked below and pay particular attention to the nearby street names.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7304701,-90.7224457,179m/data=!3m1!1e3

Three different streets all named Turntable? Interesting... looks to be a nicely preserved depot to too far up the ROW. - Rob

Can you give us any info on the former owners of the turntable and its length?

At the end, it was a branch on the Columbus & Greenville. They bought it from ICG in the late 1980's. I think it was part of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley.

I guess it was cheaper to just leave it there.

I doubt that when they could have squeezed in two $200K houses into that space.

But the un-fenced pit is a continuing liability, especially if it stops draining and fills with water. I just can't see leaving the rusty old bridge as a jungle gym, either.

Actually if you get to the street view the turntable is fenced in.

My guess is that someone labelled it as "historic" and was easier for the developer to leave it in place than to argue to rip it out.

I would be curious to know what lies in the ground nearby. As we all know railroad yards were never very friendly to the environment. Don't think I would want my house on top of that soil.

Leaving that turntable in place is pretty strange on several different levels. It would be interesting to hear the inside story. If the intent was to leave it as an artistic landscape element, the overhead photo does not look like that was done. I am not even sure how one would go about doing that.

This says they intend to include the turntable on a new rail trail to be built there.
http://www.abandonedrails.com/Cleveland_Mississippi

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After some more research I suspect that the city owns the turntable even through it is surrounded by the development. A new rail trail passes from the turntable to the old Illinois Central grade, then though town, to,and beyond the local depot museum.

So, once it is part of a rail trail will the walkers/hikers be able to walk onto the turntable and have the turntable spin 180 degrees to point them back towards their starting point ???

Seems very strange, even with fencing a pit like that is just begging for a serious injury with youngsters around. Heck no teenager would ever jump over a fence and do something stupid right ??? I can just see someone trying to jump their skateboard from the rim of the pit over to the bridge of the turntable...

I love trains and history but a new house built on the graveyard of a roundhouse seems just a bit weird, think about all the oil, grease, asbestos, etc, etc that was spilled around that area....

Just seems like a nice new housing development right on the site of an old roundhouse and turntable is not the best choice... Remember Love Canal were they built houses and a school on top of an old chemical landfill ???

Cheers, Kevin