Hello all,I have been looking around at my options for a layout and have come up with a reasonable idea. 4X10ish to be built on a wheeled table in the corner of a detached garage. This is my best option for a multitude of reasons, including that it is by far the easiest place to fit it, and that it is the only place i would ever be able to move it from (small doors). The biggest problems that I see are climate related, here in new england the layout would be exposed to humidity from 0% to over 90% and temps from 0F to near 120F. The temps are more due to the garage heating up from the sun in the summer. I know that i would have to be very conscious of this during construction, but is it even possible? Would the temperature changes slowly pull the layout apart as the frame expands and contracts? Would humidity wreak havoc on the scenery? I have found some advice in other places online, but wanted your thoughts before diving in.
Lost in the snow
We have a portable layout we bring to shows. It's over ten years old now and has been in just about every extreme you can imagine. It has sat for days in our van in temps near 0 to near 100 (maybe higher). So far I haven't see any evidence of major shrinking or expanding. The track hasn't moved or kinked. About the only thing it hasn't been exposed to is long periods of high humidity, that I can recall.
Like you, I've seen others who have had major issues with temperatures. I don't know if I've been lucky or if it has anything to do with how the layout was built. It is made of four sections that have always lined up just fine despite the temperature. The one thing I think I would avoid is anything that might absorb a lot of moisture, like foam core, printed backdrops, etc. Maybe even Masonite.
Jim
RR_Mel I have since insulated the garage to R40 and that works better for both my layout and me.
I wish I had a better place for a layout, but this is pretty much my only option.
Bering The biggest problems that I see are climate related, here in new england the layout would be exposed to humidity from 0% to over 90% and temps from 0F to near 120F. The temps are more due to the garage heating up from the sun in the summer.
The biggest problems that I see are climate related, here in new england the layout would be exposed to humidity from 0% to over 90% and temps from 0F to near 120F. The temps are more due to the garage heating up from the sun in the summer.
It might be worth your while to install a vent fan in an external wall as high up as you can make it.
Ed
Bering RR_Mel I have since insulated the garage to R40 and that works better for both my layout and me. I wish I had a better place for a layout, but this is pretty much my only option.
For a layout of that size, you really shouldn't have too many issues with heat, however, the extremes of humidity may be concern. If you are laying track on roadbed over sheet ply, just paint the plywood, both sides, help stop any warping or slight buckling. A method to eliminate both temp and humidity would be to buil open frame, place 1/4" ply and a layer of extruded foam. roadbed and track is just glued with DAP Alex plus. This is done by countless members here and most never have issues.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Steel studs are cheap. Use those with extruded foam on top and foam roadbed, that eliminates wood altogether. Temperature would not concern me, however, humidity will play havoc.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Construction materials is the key. Foam, cork and nickle silver track should not be a problem because of expantion and contraction rates as long as you don't go crazy with long streches of perfectly strait track but this ia a warning for people with large railroads. Humitity dose not affect those items either as the cork we use is a cheap mix of granuals and dose not expand like a bottle cork dose.