Never ran outdoors before this last couple of months....I have dug out from the snow and ice... do I need to wait until everything is totally dry? I am assuming that water in the form of melted ice and snow, since water conducts electricity, can short out my transformer in much the same way magnetized rock can create an electrical connection between rails.
Just want to make sure before I make a mistake today by running trains too soon......while waiting for the BRONCOS to kick some Patriot tail!! EDIT: NOT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
If your power pack has an overload/short circuit light, turn it to about half throttle with no train on the track. If the overload light comes on, water is still creating a short and you'll need to wait.
I run my railroad all the time in snow. As Cacole stated if the train doesn’t move wait a couple of days. Clean water is actually an insulator; it’s impurities in water that cause electrical conductivity, salt for example. Have fun, Rob
Thanks gents....I ran my son's little Mack around the loop just fine after I put the last two foot of track to make the connection. I guess I never noticed that all those youtube videos of garden trains running in snow were on track power, and I've never been out at the Colo. RR Museum when the g-scale trains were running in the snow.
I can't wait to get on batteries....this business of have to clean all that track or watch the locomotives lurch and stall around the track, not to mention maintaining clean connections and wheels, is not for me. I know track power can be accomplished very well and more-or-less trouble free, but I'm going battery and be done with it.
Since many of us push show off the tracks, I'm guessing as long as you can move the train it is ok.
Paul
Water is not going to 'short' a power pack via the rails.
I live inSouthern New England and usr\e the Aristo plow and 2 SD-45's tp plow snow with my track powered locos.
Only problem is you must not take an engine from the cold outdoors and bring it into a warm house as moisture will instantly condense on the outside and inside of the engine thus getting moisture all over the electronics. I keep my winter running equipment in an unheated bulkhead tp prevent this.
piercedan Only problem is you must not take an engine from the cold outdoors and bring it into a warm house as moisture will instantly condense on the outside and inside of the engine thus getting moisture all over the electronics. I keep my winter running equipment in an unheated bulkhead tp prevent this.
Holy smokes and thank you very, very, very much....we just got six inches of snow last night and it's real cold and I was just about to bring my shay inside to keep it warm because I was thinking the cold would hurt it. Man, am I glad I read this first. I'll leave it outside (it's under a porch roof) until the weather warms up to the 40s and 50s this weekend.
As far as water and shorting out power goes, well I guess I should have been sitting in chemistry class while I was in college out there in Boston instead of sitting in section 34 of Fenway Park.
.........if I remember right, Norton isn't too far from Foxborough, so congratulations, your Patriots finally won a game out here in Denver!
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