This question comes up quite frequently here, so if you do some searching you can find the prior posts and all of the pros and cons of HO outdoors.
In a nutshell, HO scale track will not last long outdoors. HO locomotives and rolling stock will be destroyed by sunlight in short order. Bugs, leaves, etc. will derail trains. Track will need constant maintenance and replacement. The British run HO outdoors, and Peco makes UV resistant HO scale track specifically for outdoor use, but it is hard to find and very expensive on this side of the pond.
I guess that I should have added that for the past 7 years I've had garden layout in my garden layout. The home of my RbFSRWy CEO has layout in his backyard (Z scale). In appearance it looks like an awkaerd size much bigger than G, but yet not big enough to ride. It is mounted on a sceniced sheet of lexan and only comes outside on special runs, as does the G circus (tents and all.)
Tom Trigg
HO out in the garden? It CAN be done, is it worth the extra effort required. It has been 20+ years since I did HO so some (if not most) of what I say may be outdated.
Fiber paper (dense cardboard) and wood (balsa) structures fail too fast as they are too thin. Plastic structures require a good UV resistant paint job. (same for people, dogs, animals etc.) Nickle-silver rails survive well, brass is better. Plastic ties WILL rot in few weeks. Prime movers (engines, trucks, trolleys etc) must be stored inside a shed, garage, house, there will be too much moisture in a "storage tunnel for the motors.Stenuious cleaning of the rails will be required for each run, smaller wheelsets and smaller rails collect too much debris for reliable operations. Remote (electrical) switches (turnouts) will fail as they are not water proof.
Having said all that negative, I had a friend (since passed away) that had about 80 ft of HO rail outside, everything he had outside was home manufactured from plastic stock material. Rails were glued to a brick roadbed and he spray painted the entire road every year then sanded down the rails for electrical conductivity. He had a small "back pack" vaccum cleaner he vaccumed the rails before every run. During snail season he had a small battery powered truck dragging around a chemical cleaner to remove the sanil goo. All his rail connections were soldered as slip joints do not survive. All his switches were manual and he had clear space under each to help keep them clean.
With that info, and hopefully someone else can share their comments, do a good self study of all the pro's and con's then enjoy your decision.
I've heard of people doing it, but I've never seen it done. You need to make sure the ties are UV tolerant or at least paint them with UV protection paint. You locomotives and cars cannot stay out in the sunlight all the time unless you can protect them also. Same things with buildings, the pastic needs protection.
I have a Z scale layout that I put behind a house on my G gauge layout but it only stays out for open houses, etc. Otherwise it's put away out of the sun and weather.
Bob
So does anybody use HO scale trains in the garden. Is it impossible. Thanks.
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
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