Model Railroading > Issues with Walthers DCC 130' turntable

Ok, so I've googled this, but I have a very specific problem.
My turntable is giving an error message, but it worked perfectly at first. It does have a reversing ring, so polarity is NOT the problem. I had trouble free running for several months, so it is something that has gone wrong in the mean time. When I attempt to calibrate or move the TT-bridge under its own power, it works fine for about 1/3 of a revolution, but it always seems to stop and get an error message at the same point in the revolution.
Now, previously, It did get a good bit of ballast stuck in the gears which I had to clean out. I would suspect this as the problem, except it always happens in the same spot. Being a plastic TT-pit, I worry that the pit might be bowed slightly, but at this late date, I'm not sure how I could correct for that. It was installed flush and level in the beginning, but with the moisture and the temp changes we have in basements in Ga, I would not be surprised if the wood bench work had buckled slightly. This is my fear. The yard is sceniced pretty much and all the track layed, so I'm hoping that I don't have to totally redo everything. There is no warping that I can see, but I'm sure this small turntable is more sensitive to small buckles than my eye would be. Any ideas or suggestions? How have others dealt with similar issues?

A friend of mine had the same error on his Walters TT. I kept urging him to call Walthers to see what they would do, but he ended up wiring up a standard DCC locomotive decoder to it. It works this way, but there is no longer indexing of the bridge.

Posted from iPhone

More realistic without the indexing.

I agree with this... but how would you do it?

I think he used a loco decoder for the motor drive and an auto reversing unit for the track.

Posted from iPhone

STOP right here; STOP. Walthers CANNOT help you, the poor boogers can't. They'd like to, but as good of heart as they are THEY CAN'T. LEAVE THEM ALONE; .....................MOVE ON
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN FROM HERE.

I had the same problem,..............................IT could not be POLARITY, I said to myself; can't be; it's AC voltage. Then I switched (positive to negative) the AC voltage inputs to my DB-150 and VOILA my turntable works just fine. Yeaa; I know. I'LL CATCH HELL for this posting, I'm sure; I DON'T CARE. All I care about is MAKING THINGS WORK my name is Nelson, I live in Manchester, NH and if you want to call me out on this because I'm harsh............................give it your best shot. This forum has been created to one driven objective.....................MAKE THINGS WORK.

Nelson LeMay
Manchester, NH

I had same problems use to stop where ever it wanted to but after some trial and error i found it always fouled when a train was running in same section as to where i had TT wired into layout for its power source I have solved my problem by giving TT its own power added booster to dcc system just for TT works fine as it did not like any voltage drop what so ever during operation Cheers D.

I tried reversing the wires... It didn't do anything. It's almost like it meets with resistance in one area and stops. I wish the turntable were made out of something other than flexible plastic.

Boonierat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> STOP right here; STOP. Walthers CANNOT help
> you, the poor boogers can't.

To provide a slightly different perspective on this, I had problems with a new Walthers 130' TT, just last month. I called their customer support number and he asked a few questions. After that, he told me he'd send me a new TT (that had been thoroughly tested) and I should swap out the electrical components (everything except the "pit") then send back the faulty stuff. (by the way, doing it that way meant that I didn't have to remove the pit that I'd already installed on the layout). We've done all of that and the TT works perfectly, no problems, I'm happy.

Take care,

Mark

dropframe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> More realistic without the indexing.


Don't think so for everyone trying to make it line up is not fun. Have fun enjoying it your way not the way I like it.

The prototypes have the same problems with track alignment. That is why it is commonly a two person job. Then they throw a steel bar or two across the gap to secure the alignment in case there is some slop in the brake mechanism.

In major terminals it is a huge throbbing headache if the turntable is out of service while they try to rerail a locomotive.


BAB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dropframe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > More realistic without the indexing.
>
>
> Don't think so for everyone trying to make it line
> up is not fun. Have fun enjoying it your way not
> the way I like it.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

I may contact walthers in that case. I would actually rather NOT have the indexing, because it never aligns properly anyway.
I have tried switching the wiring around, and concluded that the electrical flow is not the problem.

Theoretically, if the pit was bowed slightly and the bridge was dragging in a particular spot, would that cause an error message? I ask this because the tt-bridge always stops in the same spot.

I have the newer turntable and keep getting E3 which says bad bridge wipers, bridge not installed. The bridge will "go home" then the error message comes up.This newer bridge doesn't need the reverse track computer card. Any suggestions? I see in 2014 a polarity was the issue but this shouldn't have that problem

Yeah, this was an old post of mine.  I've since gotten the new one and it's doing what yours is doing. It still works better than the old one, but grit gets in the gears and the plastic pit isn't ridgid enough to hold its form.  My turtable does ok to turn engens a half turn to put them in the round house, but to turn them around 180 or 360 seems to cause problems.