Humidity

[Munster518]

Does humidity have a big affect on postwar trains. Being that I live in Upstate NY and my house can become very hot during the summer I was wondering if it would have any long term affects? And what should I do to protect my trains? Thanks.[:)]

Sincerely
John

[lionelsoni]

It's pretty hot and humid here much of the year, including right now. (They're forecasting 87 percent relative humidity in the morning and 97 degrees fahrenheit in the afternoon tomorrow.) Almost all houses are air-conditioned now; but I don't recall ever seeing any particular corrosion on stuff kept, for example, in the garage.

[3railguy]

Humidity causes all kinds of problems with postwar trains such as corrosion on trucks, wheels, and couplers. Mildew can form on plastic and eat the paint. If there is dust on your trains, moisture can rot it releasing harmful chemicals that eat the paint. Humidity isn't so bad if the air is circulating. Your best bet is to get a dehumidifier or two (one at each end of the basement). Keep them set at around 40%. If drainage is a problem, you can set them on small tables and drain them into a 5 gal pails with a small sump pump.

[daan]

In my layout room I always leave a window a bit open to keep ventilation going. I also have one of those moisture eaters hidden in the room.
I am more afraid of direct sunlight which can bleach the paint..

[Anonymous]

Humidity is bad for all electric trains, regardless of era. Buy a dehumidifier, if necessary, or keep the trains in an air-conditioned environment. Some years ago when I had a lot of my trains in a rental storage unit, I paid extra for a climate-controlled unit. It was well worth the additional cost. With the exception of my garden railroad (Large Scale) trains, none of my collections are exposed to relative humidity higher than 60%, and they generally are kept at around 50%.

[Jumijo]

Humidity isn't a good thing for electric trains. I keep my locos and tenders in a sealed plastic container with an open dish of silica gel inside with them. I recharge the gel every few weeks to keep it fresh. A cheap solution that gives me piece of mind.

Having said that, consider this also. Post war trains have been with us for 50+ years. That's 50+ summers and winters, all kinds of weather and climate conditions. I'd venture to guess that the large majority of them were not treated to any special kind of climate controlled packing when they were stored away, sometimes for decades at a time. And most train layouts are located in people's basements. In spite of all that, they survived to be with us today. My point is, taking precautions is a great idea, but don't lose sleep over it.

Jim

[Anonymous]

If your layout or collection is housed in your basement then keep the doors and windows closed and condition your basement as you do your home, by keeping the relative humidity between 50 - 60 percent.

Run a dehumidifier and either pipe the drain to a floor drain or buy a dehumidifier with a pump and put it to a sink or outside. Dehumidifier size is very important. Don't buy an oversize one thinking that it will work better, because it won't.

Here's a rule of thumb for setting up an inexpensive dehumidifier without controls or a humidity gauge. Position it in your room away from any obstructions, then turn its knob on to its highest setting for 24 hours. After 24 hours slowly turn the control the oposite direction until it cycles off. Then keep it at that position. You can mark that spot on the dial with nailpolish or a marking pen, and your dehumidifier will cycle on and off and maintain the proper humiditiy.

Hope this helps,
BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com