# Gallows Turntable



## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Along w/ the Sand House is a Gallows Turntable project. 

First up, the spider...


A template...


2" x 8" x 8' cedar was cut into 3/16" x 2" x 48" strips, soaked overnight in water, band-clamped to template and left to dry...

Three sets (to form three arcs) of six 3/16" strips Gorilla-glued together, clamped, set overnight...

Each arc trimmed and sanded, ready for fitting and glueing...

Pit wall complete...

Inner ties added...

Ties and rail completed...

Underground support and spider structure added to complete pit wall...




http://www.mylargescale.com/1stclass/tbug/tipple/Turntable/DSC02633.JPG


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Awesome tbug! Got any more details on how you made the spider?


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

The deck...(is there a way to rotate pic's using the MLS toolbar?)

Rails and end-plates added...

Center plate and spider wheels...

Decking added. Deck, spider, and pit wall/ rail fit well and spin freely...


Cables and details are next to add (a couple of weeks before I get back to this)...


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Any possibility you could increase the size of your pictures?

My eyes cannot make out any detail.

John


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Any possibility you could increase the size of your pictures? 

My eyes cannot make out any detail. 



Just click on them.


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## dltrains (Jan 2, 2008)

Tbug, Looks well made.Really great build. Any more on the spider construction? 

Dave


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

A very neat project. What are the purposes of all the wheels on the spider? For layout/construction? I only see two sets on the completed setup. Confused & curious.

Thanks,

Les


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Shouldn't there be an upper and lower ring rail for the spyder? The rolling wheels transfer the weight, not the axles. 

Probably not necessary in G with the outer ring and center pivot.... just a long bridge.


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Spider construction began w/ laying out basic spider pattern, cutting support blocks, and bending rail...
 
Support blocks glued, rail sized...



Ties cut/ glued...


Ties, support blocks, rail assembled...


Pattern drawn for center bearing/ axle/ wheel layout...


Axles taped in place, fender washer JB Welded in to place...


Once dry, turned over, axles sandwiched between two fender washers...









Center bearing/ axles fit...


1:20.3 ore car wheels blackened...


Wheels secured using heat-shrink tubing (doubled shrink tube on the inside, single on the outside), w/ a tiny amount of CA to hold in place...


Deck center plate/ shaft is attached to deck, epoxied to spider center bearing/ axle/ wheel assembly as one unit...


Wheels then ride on center rail/ support blocks/ ties. Sub-structure is simply to hold alignment of pit/ outer rail to spider and will be buried/ unseen...


W/ deck installed, spider wheels are mostly hidden. The weight is evenly divided between spider wheels/ axles/ rail and outer wheels/ rail. Deck spins freely w/ little pressure... 


No drawings were used in construction, only pic's of various A-frame/ Gallows/ Laws turntables both real and modeled, and sized for my need at 65-feet (Fn3). I am very happy w/ it thus far considering the 'MacGuyver' approach in building. Yet to be added is the deck/ A-frame cabling and hardware details.

tbug


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By Les on 10 Jul 2009 06:30 PM 
A very neat project. What are the purposes of all the wheels on the spider? For layout/construction? I only see two sets on the completed setup. Confused & curious.

Thanks,

Les


Les, instead of wheels think of them as rollr bearings.

With an upper and lower ring rail, the center weight of the turntable rode on the bearings

The first pic is a commercially available spyder from Pacific Coast Garden Railway Supply... funny when I did a google search, Shad's pic came up with the link to this.

The second pic is a scratch built spyder built from Al Armatige plans... in NG and SL Gazette

I'm posting this so others can understand the principle of the design and the 'Why Bother' of making the spyder....

The more weight taken off the pivot the easier it was to swing the table.

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 12 Jul 2009 07:20 AM 
Posted By Les on 10 Jul 2009 06:30 PM 
A very neat project. What are the purposes of all the wheels on the spider? For layout/construction? I only see two sets on the completed setup. Confused & curious.

Thanks,

Les


Les, instead of wheels think of them as rollr bearings.

With an upper and lower ring rail, the center weight of the turntable rode on the bearings

The first pic is a commercially available spyder from Pacific Coast Garden Railway Supply... funny when I did a google search, Shad's pic came up with the link to this.

The second pic is a scratch built spyder built from Al Armatige plans... in NG and SL Gazette

I'm posting this so others can understand the principle of the design and the 'Why Bother' of making the spyder....

The more weight taken off the pivot the easier it was to swing the table.

John

Don't know what happened to the pics! trying again


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

daggum program 
where are the pics I uploaded? 
1 step forward 2 steps back


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 12 Jul 2009 07:25 AM 
daggum program 
where are the pics I uploaded? 
1 step forward 2 steps back 
Not sure why your photo attachments don't display. They are definitely there. By checking the "Display Link?" checkbox in your first post, I was at least able to get links to your photos to display. I'll flag this for Shad to look at.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dwight, 
I see the links now,in the first attempt, but I also re-posted them in the second one don't see 'em there. 

What 'Display link' box? 

John


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I see the links now,in the first attempt, but I also re-posted them in the second one don't see 'em there.That's 'cause I didn't do anything to the second post.
What 'Display link' box?If you attach files, then scroll to the bottom of the *Add Reply* screen, you'll see a couple of title bars, one of which says *Attachments*. Clicking the _arrow at the far right_ of the bar will open it and show the files attached to your post. Within that window is the *Display Link?* checkbox (circled in red below). These show checked in the example because I checked them, which caused the links themselves to display.











Of course, if the attached images displayed, there would be no need to do this, but for now (until this gets resolved), at least it's a workaround.









I've flagged this issue for Shad, and it's on his list of things to look into/correct/explain.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

I went back to the email box and was able to open all but one. FWIW.

Is this spider configuration used much? I'm a great fan of each doing it his own way, but that seems like a lot of work, unless you just happen to be taken by it.

For me it's moot because I intend to power 'em and use gears & motors which I have been diligently collecting.


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Finally completed the turntable deck...


















The completed turntable (plywood is temporary, pressure treated wooden 'x' is the base that will be buried/ unseen, rails will be cut-to-fit.)...




























tbug


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## David Buckingham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tbug 

Superb piece of work all I have done so far is the wood part of the deck 

Dave


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## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

Coming along nicely. Good job on increasing the pic size. Can't wait to see installed pics!! Sean


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Beautiful work


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## MasonsDad (Feb 7, 2008)

Absolutley Beautiful !!! for lack of better words


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Very nicely done, i need one of those myself! Keep up the GREAT WORK 

Chris


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## Darrene (Jan 13, 2020)

Gargh! I was looking forward to reading this thread as I'm thinking of making a Gallows turrntable myself, but all the linked pictures seem to be out of step - they don't relate to the thread


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

It appears you're new around these here parts so you may not be familiar with this site's history. About four or so years ago the original owner sold the forum to the current owners. They have no real interest in model railroading and they appear to only be interested in deriving income from the site's advertising links. They updated the forum's software and hardware to "standardize" with the other sites they own and in doing so lost many of the pictures. They made a few feeble attempts over about a year in a halfhearted effort to recover the lost pictures with the results that your are experiencing.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

II believe those pics are of the 2006 Queen Mary Show.


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