My track is floating on gravel ballast and works great in all kinds of weather from rainy wet springs, warm summers to cold and icy winters.
When the track is covered with snow and ice, no harm seems to come to it. heavy rains move the top dressing of the ballast.
in the winter if the snow is right, I run trains!
Winnegance and Quebec Railway
Eric Schade Gen'l Manager
I live a mile high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our winters can get down to -20 F with plenty of snow and summer, like today 100 F plus. For roadbed I use the floating system. Track is laid on the surface with a layer of gravel. I leave room for tracks to expand and contract and avoid long tangents (straight tracks). If you do experience frost heave it’s easy to fix, just knock down the high spots. That said when the snow is less than 6” deep I can usually run trains. A USAT F3A makes a good snowplow. Have fun Rob
ndbprrConsidering an outdoor layout in northern Michigan. Anything special I should consider?
I live in Kalamazoo, MI and haven't had any particular problems with my railroad. I started it in 2004. I have had a little frost heave, but it hasn't been bad. I just stepped on those places in the spring and everything was fine. I run all year. As long as the snow doesn't get too deep I can keep my railroad open with a simple Aristo wedge plow with extra weight in it and usually two locomotives to push it. If ice gets on the tracks I'm done until it thaws. If I let the snow get too deep before plowing I can't force the plow through the snow. About 3 inches of light weight snow is about it.
[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:0]
Here is a winter plowing picture and a summer photo from my roof.
Bob
I'm in northern AZ @ 7K ft so it gets cold in the winter. My only issues with the cold have been the snow plows dumping buckets on my rails the first year (they haven't done it since) and frost heaves requiring some leveling and balast maintenance in the spring.
You may also want to consider critter control as deer and other large animals can move things around a bit. Good luck and keep us posted.
Rex
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