Turn, turn, turn...
This week's Saturday Timewatch features a classic example of railway operations equipment - the turntable. Although a couple of dozen remain in working order in the UK, it is not that easy to be in the right place at the right time to see one in action.
In the photo above, British India Line is being turned through 180 degrees on the turntable at Yeovil Junction. I can't say that I understand the technology but at this site, power is provided by the locomotive itself, a hose being connected from the engine to the turntable mechanism.
Even better, in Kim's video below you can see all of this in full operation over a period of about 5 minutes, including disconnecting the hose and then running forward off the turntable. Thanks Kim!
Turn, turn, turn...
This week's Saturday Timewatch features a classic example of railway operations equipment - the turntable. Although a couple of dozen remain in working order in the UK, it is not that easy to be in the right place at the right time to see one in action.
In the photo above, British India Line is being turned through 180 degrees on the turntable at Yeovil Junction. I can't say that I understand the technology but at this site, power is provided by the locomotive itself, a hose being connected from the engine to the turntable mechanism.
Even better, in Kim's video below you can see all of this in full operation over a period of about 5 minutes, including disconnecting the hose and then running forward off the turntable. Thanks Kim!