Weather question

[Anonymous]

It's been raining cats and dogs here today.  Its rained so hard I step right in a poodle.......

But seriously folks, what do most of you do with your engines and rolling stock on days like today?  Bring them in or leave them out?  Maybe you have a shed to park everything under.  Just wondering because I am in the midst of planing my RR and worried about days like today.

Thanks for any responces and I'll try to keep dry in the mean time.....Also if you haven't seen my post on the other forum, wish you would and pass along any comments you'd care to make.

"Planning, layout construction and gardening"  Next forum from this one............

Thanks............ 

 

[Anonymous]

  SRS 4501

   AT THE PRICES OF ENGINES i don't leave my engines or cars out in the rain , i built a cart to take my equiment out and in my house. my track goes from ground level to 24 ins. off the ground , it's only 175 ft. of track , it has several bridges and the track crosses  part of my pond , I just finished 10 houses to put in my lay out this year.   I have been retired for 6 years.

e-mail me and i'll  send you a few pictures of my garden rail road .  Ben

 

 

[Anonymous]

  SRS 4501

   AT THE PRICES OF ENGINES i don't leave my engines or cars out in the rain , i built a cart to take my equiment out and in my house. my track goes from ground level to 24 ins. off the ground , it's only 175 ft. of track , it has several bridges and the track crosses  part of my pond , I just finished 10 houses to put in my lay out this year.   I have been retired for 6 years.

e-mail me and a send you a few pictures of my garden rail road .  Ben

 E-mail on the way.  Many thanks.

SRS

[Anonymous]

Not only the price of engines, but the price of rolling stock too!! I built several shelves in my garage, which is a short distance from my layout and carry my engines and rolling stock in and out every time I run them. Once out, I leave them out all day and park them in the shade. The buildings I'm starting to bring them inside the garage for the winter. $80 for a water tower is too much to leave out in the dead of winter and freezing temps. And my wife bought me a freight building from a German company that cost $148.00...it's made from plastic and probably will not hold up to any snow accumalation.

dan

[vsmith]

Bring 'em in, aint worth it to risk corrosion damage from acid rain now is it?

-

Just common sense, I wouldnt leave anything out or risk getting a car kicked across the yard by Dogzilla. Especially after seeing what happened to my "outdoor" structures after only one SoCal summer of UV did to them. They got faded badly and suffered from delamination of glue joints. I've seen some cheaper rolling stock plastic warp in the sunlight. Protect your investment and it will last much longer.

[cacole]

I ran a track onto a storage shelf inside a metal shed by cutting a hole in the side of the shed that is covered with a "doggie door" type flap, and store all of my engines and rolling stock in the shed.

This can be seen at http://members.cox.net/cacole2 and then selecting "other layouts" on the second page.

[Anonymous]

Yes i am part of the bring them in don't take the chance brigade. I used to stable them in a tunnel but we get monsoons here and a wall of water washed in twice and took out the decoders in two trains; so i take mine in and put them away every night.

Rgds Ian

[Capt Bob Johnson]

I too subscribe to the take em in theory!

Structures stay out from late May thru Thanksgiving; but rolling stock comes in at night.

If I could figure out a way to have a shed on my layout and still be able to get around with tractor to mow lawn, I would most definately have a shed as taking them in can be a real PITA; especially when a summer squall hits you!

Since I do have concrete walkway from garage to layout, I went to Lowes and got one of those wire shelving units on wheels that is 18" wide and 48" long and has 5 shelves.   Wheel it out to layout, play with my trains, wheel it back into garage!   Saves a lot of trips that way!

[ttrigg]

"I too subscribe to the take em in theory!" Cpt. Bob.
Yes I carry them in. I'm planning on cutting a hole in the side of the shed and "driving" them in, and da boss has agreed to allow me to do that, only after I finish several other items on the Honey-do list.

[Southwest Chief]

I leave everything out!

I can fit three locomotives in my roundhouse and I usually keep an LGB Mogul, Accucraft Goose #5, and LGB D&RGW #50 switcher in there.  The other items that I want to protect are the four car custom LGB San Juan trainset and LGB mogul that pulls it.  But I store these on my twin six foot steel bridges.  I use a heavy gauge tarp, cut to fit and wrap it around the bridges.  Four bungee cords hold it on tight.  

Everything else gets wet and dirty, but a soft brush cleans off the splashed dirt fairly well. 

For buildings that are a pain to clean I use a lot of cheap Walmart plastic storage bins and turn them upside down.  These work great for Piko houses.  Pola structures need the larger sized bins.

My other items that can't get wet, or dirty (Silver Vista, etc..) I keep in the garage and only bring out when I want to run them.

I found a picture of the tarp on the bridges.  It is not fully secured so it might look a bit unsafe in the photo. Trust me if it can protect my equipment from torrential Southwestern Colorado summer monsoons it can work in any weather.  I should add that everything is brought in during the winter.  Too much snow to do anything but sled anyway.

[Anonymous]

I picked up an enclosed shelf unit and mounted it on casters.  That usually stays in the garage.  I store all my stuff in there.  I use a long garden cart to take what I am going to run out to the layout.  It sure makes setting up a run easy.

[Anonymous]

OK then.  I guess I'll have to figure out some method of getting my train in and out as most of you have done.  I suppose this also means a "re-railer" is a must somewhere in the layout?

Thanks for the great responce everyone.....................

[Camaro1967]

I have been the route of many of those responding to your question. I have left my rolling stock out covered with a plastic tarp when it is going to rain. The engines, come in and out whenever I use them. They don't stay out. I have shelves in my garage, next to the layout for the rolling stock not in use, but now have too many.  SO I have almost completed a shed. As soon as someone tells me where the instructions are for posting pictures I would be happy to post a picture. The shed is 4' by 16'  with 5 parallel tracks.  I may have room for one more track whenever I need it.

Paul 

[Anonymous]

SO I have almost completed a shed. As soon as someone tells me where the instructions are for posting pictures I would be happy to post a picture. The shed is 4' by 16'  with 5 parallel tracks.  I may have room for one more track whenever I need it.

Paul 

I sent you an e-mail that should help.

Regards,

SRS

[Camaro1967]

Thanks for the response. I do have a place to post pictures that can be used in forums.  I will get a picture in there, and post it here.

Thanks again

Paul 

[Camaro1967]

OK, here is a picture of my train shed. It has tar paper on the roof, but no shingles or paint. Still trying to decide what to do there. All reasonable suggestions will be accepted.  Yesterday, I built the track spur into the end door, and now four of five of my sidings are full.  Presently, the roof lifts off in two places that can be seen for access. There still is a lot to do, but it can be used now.

Paul 

 

[markperr]

Paul;

Why not paint it the color of the structure it is attached to and put on a traditional shingle roof.  You could secure one side of it and use a piano hitch on the top to lift open the other side.

SRS;

I leave my equipment out.  The engines sit in tunnels and the rolling stock sits under a deck overhang.  They used to get very muddy from the rains but I fixed that with a temporary layer of mulch next to the rails to prevent splash up.

 Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Glad to see you got the picture thing worked out.  Shed idea is a good one, especially for large layouts, as you must have.  For me I think I'll just carry my one train in and out as I need to....

That's a good looking picture in your logo.  Is it one of your trains or is it the real thing?

[Camaro1967]

Thanks, That picture is of my new BNSF Dash nine.  I just lucked out and got a couple of excellent pictures of it right after I put it on the tracks for the first time.  I have been inspired by Marty Cozad for the last couple of years. 

Originally, I had the idea of painting the shed the same color as the one that it is attached to and doing a cedar shingle roof.  But later thinking about it, I want it to be considered part of my layout and not just another shed in the yard (I already have three).  Then I discovered that Cedar shingles are going to be too expensive, and since I have over 300$ worth of track inside I am leaning away from that.  So I am still thinking about it.  I am now thinking about a  dark brown stain, and a colored (red or green) asfault shingle roof, but my wife is not too hot for that color scheme.  So it waits.

Paul