Yamacraw Village in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Turntable
How do you park a locomotive in a Roundhouse? Use a Turntable!
A hostler drove a locomotive onto the Turntable. An operator rotated the Turntable from a control box at one end of it, until the table aligned with a desired track running into the Roundhouse. The Hostler then drove the locomotive into the proper bay for maintenance. The Turntable here was made in 1907 and was moved from the Central of Georgia Railroad Shops in Columbus, Georgia. The Central’s first table was not originally motorized.
A turntable ”…is supported on the center pier and pivots on conical rollers or steel balls encased in a box with bearing plates under, fox bolted to the masonry.” — Railroad Structures and Estimates, 1909
(captions)
(upper left) The Central of Georgia maintained similar equipment and buildings in many of its shops. This turntable photographed at the Columbus, Georgia shops, for example, looked very similar to the one here in Savannah. Norfolk Southern Archives
(lower right) New roller bearings in the Turntable box, circa 2003. The current Turntable operates on three bearing points rather than a center pivot.
Turntable Technology Changes
(to support larger locomotives)
* ca 1851-1855 - Manual 50 ft long
* 1886 - Probably steam powered
* 1903 - Gasoline powered
* 1906 - 65 ft long
* 1923 - Electric, 75 ft long
* 1945 - 5 ft extensions added to both ends, making it 85 ft long
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.
Location. 32° 4.5′ N, 81° 6.083′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in Yamacraw Village. Marker can be reached from Louisville Road, 0.2 miles east of West Boundary Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is on the grounds of the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 655 Louisville Road, Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Machine Shop (here, next to this marker); Workers' Garden (here, next to this marker); Tender Frame Shop & Master Mechanic's Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Blacksmith Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); Smokestack (within shouting distance of this marker); Drop Table (within shouting distance of this marker); Colored Shopmen's Locker & Lavatory (within shouting distance of this marker); Boiler Room (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Savannah.
Also see . . .
1. Georgia State Railroad Museum. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on October 1, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Coastal Heritage Society. Website homepage (Submitted on October 1, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 437 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 17, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on November 18, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.