Coldness and toy trains

[Munster518]

My garage is where my layout is set up and sometimes during the winter it gets alittle cold but not below freezing. In the summer time the temperature stays moderate. I was wondering if this has any long term affects on trains, transformer, track, etc etc. I mainly run postwar, so I try to take care of them the best I can. I know from seeing first hand that heat has a hugh impact on trains by warping them or discoloring over time. Any advice on this would be great, thanks[:)]

John[:)]

The garage also has no problems with water, so corrosion I don't think is a problem?

[otftch]

Mine are in a small insulated shed (handi-house) that is air conditioned to keep the temp from huge swings we have here in Florida. I notice my MTH engines are slugi***o start up if it gets too cold.About ten minutes with tjhe portable heater and everything is fine.I have had them in the shed for about four years now with no other effects.
Ed

[dougdagrump]

John, I have no idea how they will react to the temperature swings but the issue of humidity could be a diffrent story.

[Anonymous]

I too have a cold issue problem in Missouri. so far I've noticed no issue with cold, also with heat. I now use a kerosene heater, I guess a large electric portible could work as well and I'll be adding a window unit for the summer months as well. One thing I do know in the five years of my trains being in the backhouse I have not had any issue hot or cold, nor any humidity problems as well. One thing that may sound silly to you is I always have a 20 pound bag of charcoal under my layout . (use regular not instant light)
I put down a trashbag under the charcoal and cut the bag open to expose most of the charcoal without making a mess. replace with new every three months or so and then use the old for the next bbq. using this helps remove moisture and saves trips to the store for more when the urge to grill strikes.

[Dave Farquhar]

My dad stored his postwar trains in a Missouri garage for about 15 years. The effects on the locomotives was minimal, but the track rusted pretty badly.

[wrmcclellan]

I thought you were describing your wife's (or significant other) reaction to your hobby [:D]

[cnw1995]

From my past experience in other scales - it's not necessarily the temp swings but the humidity / dampness / moisture - which'll wreak havoc with track and train innards.

[dwiemer]

Just watch the sweating of the metal. While it may be cold and then you turn up the heat, if the equipment warms too fast, it can sweat and then you will have moisture even with low humidity. Just be aware of it. While I may live in the south, I hunt in Colorado and this is a problem with rifles.
Dennis

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid in Florida we had an HO layout in the Florida Room (screen porch). Buildings and rolling stock did fine but the track (brass rails) and wiring corroded badly. Benchwork and table top held up fine.

I ahve a Marx layout in the garage and I keep the engines and rolling stock boxed up inside the house when not in use. Likewise, I disconnect the transformers and keep them inside. Metal buildings come in, plastic stays on. So far, the track has held up pretty well with occasional cleaning. Cold and heat don't seem to be a big problem (except for me!)

[Jumijo]

My trains are in the basement. Ambient temp is mid 50's unless I turn heat on for a train session. My kid's Lionel Thomas and RMT Beep both need time to warm up. By that I mean that when first started, the run a little balky, with a hesitation every few feet. But as they warm up, that disappears and they run smoothly.

Jim