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Rolling stock questions

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  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 4 posts
Rolling stock questions
Posted by gileng4 on Monday, October 10, 2005 10:26 AM
I am new to the scale, and I recently purchased a couple of aristocraft 53' Evans with metal roller bearing wheels. Can I leave these out side year round, and if so is there any maintenance they require?

Thanks Steve form MD
  • Member since
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  • From: Centennial, CO
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Posted by kstrong on Monday, October 10, 2005 10:51 AM
You can, but I'd build some kind of enclosed shelter for them if I were going to not bring them inside after every operating session. There have been articles in Garden Railways in the past concerning building simple structures into which you can run your trains to keep them safe. Others simply run a track into a garden shed or garage to facilitate safely storing the cars.

Technically, the cars are built to withstand the elements, and there are a few folks who leave them out, unprotected, year round. They'll generally withstand the sun and rain, but strong winds will blow them over, and storms, heavy rains and other extreme weather events will tend to knock things into them, which isn't exactly desirable. For instance, I'm looking out my window at 8" of a heavy, wet snow which has toppled a tree in the front yard, and brought down quite a few branches in the back. Any one of those branches could do a world of hurt to a plastic box car.

Later,

K
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 6:44 PM
I'm with you K why would you want to do this?

Summer has come to Queensland, with over 30 degrees C every day and it doesn't get below 20 for 6 months, we will be getting monsoons soon and really heavy rain and this is kids stuff compared to you American weather, so why do it?


Rgds Ian
  • Member since
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  • From: Virginia Beach
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Posted by tangerine-jack on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 8:00 PM


Agreed, you can do it, but it's not advisable. It's OK to leave your stuff outside for a few days if need be, but an enclosed storage of some kind is required. Capt. Bob has a small tool shed near his RR that he uses for rolling stock storage, BennysRR puts his stuff in a den with easy access to the RR, and I set up shelves in my garage to hold my modest roster.

Welcome to the forum!

Hey K, it's 72 in Va Beach today, what is snow?[(-D]


[oX)]

The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"

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  • From: North, San Diego Co., CA
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Posted by ttrigg on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 8:34 PM
TJ

I think they call that white stuff that forms on mountain tops around here "snow". it is great fun to get out the bino's and look at it occaisionaly. We got up to 68 in S.D. Last night it got down to a bone shivering 57.

Tom Trigg

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  • From: Coldstream, BC Canada
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Posted by RhB_HJ on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:21 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

..................................................................and really heavy rain and this is kids stuff compared to you American weather, so why do it?


Rgds Ian


It will also keep the cane toads off your rolling stock.[:D][:D][:D]
Cheers HJ http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/ http://www.easternmountainmodels.com
  • Member since
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  • From: Coldstream, BC Canada
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Posted by RhB_HJ on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:28 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by kstrong
....................................For instance, I'm looking out my window at 8" of a heavy, wet snow which has toppled a tree in the front yard, and brought down quite a few branches in the back. Any one of those branches could do a world of hurt to a plastic box car.

Later,

K


Hey Kevin,

I have a bet that we'll be XC-skiing in 9 days, your 8" of wet snow sounds good, but we'd need to dry it a bit. [;)][:)][:)]

Oh BTW I built a staging/fiddle yard inside the garage, tracks are at eye level, cars can come off the stub end of four tracks. Should work well for what it's intended - keeping things safe and providing for easy operation.
Cheers HJ http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/ http://www.easternmountainmodels.com
  • Member since
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  • From: Centennial, CO
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Posted by kstrong on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 12:46 AM
HJ, you're welcome to come over anytime and take all the snow you want! We got an additional 7", and lost a tree in the back yard as well. So, you're all set. all the snow you need, and do-it-yourself ski poles from the fallen tree branches.

(Guess you could say I'm modeling a "branch" line.)

The good news is that it'll be back in the 70s by the weekend, so I can run trains again once I clean up the debris. Gotta love Fall in the Rockies.

Later,

K
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: West Australia
  • 2,217 posts
Posted by John Busby on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 5:34 AM
Hi gileng4
You can leave them out side if you wish but don't.
Or you could end up spending lots of time on repairs, and
unnecasaraly large amounts of cash on replacements for damaged beyond help cars or ones that have grown legs and waljed off the premises
regards John

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