Size matters?

[mikebonellisr]

I'm a 'lone wolf' operator and I find that I spend more time on maintenance than I do on running my railroad.I find that not every engine(46) will run on every section of track(About 300 ft.) I usually can get most of them to run either perfect or at least acceptable,then the very next time I try to run some of them,after being off the layout for about a week or so,I find that I end up having to do a little tweeking (cleaning wheels,track,lube a throw bar,fix a drooping glad hand adjust coupler heights(before a car is ever placed on the track it was checked against a KD height guage) and so on .It's just like the big guys,very prototypicle but they have a bigger crew.Am I alone?

[Anonymous]

Problems from time to time, but not to that extent. If you are making repairs as they need, and the problem goes away, its called a fix, and a fix is good. If its a recurring problem, better look harder for a more permanent solution.
Or set gremlin traps around the perimeter of the room![:D]

[BRAKIE]

I have always favored the smaller layouts over basement size empires for the simple reason maintenance is easy when needed.Also,I shy away from to much electrical wiring and use blocks where only needed.Simply put I do not over block my layout and I use switch machines only where I can not reach the switch. Keeping your layout simple the results will be less electrical problems and a almost maintenance free layout..[:D]

[Fergmiester]

I believe I'm at peak size. Yes if the engines sit for any period of time they need tweeking and fiddling.

What you might be suffering from is an environmental control issue. If there is any humidity in your basement then electrical contacts will oxidize quicker.

You maybe operating in a dusty environment, this too will cause grief. Check the air filters on your furnace, air circ system or laundry system. One thing that happened to me several years ago was the dryer vent had become dislodged and for about a month, while I was at sea the basement was getting very moist air pumped into it. We now have a mold problem.

How often do you clean the rails? Last year I had to bite the bullet and invest in a track cleaning car. It was money well spent.

Bottom line is the larger we go the smaller things that impact on a layout become Large issue. It's an Exponential thing.

Regards
Fergie

[eastcoast]

Maintanence is a constant thing no matter where your layout is.
No. You are not alone. I consider my layout to be of good size
and clean tracks religiously. Depending on where your layout
is set up, this will determine the problems you will encounter.

[jrbernier]

I have been through the 'tweaking' stage at times myself. Most of this 'adjusting' can be eliminated by building/assembling it better the first time. My first HO layout was built in the late 60's and was a typical 'basement' layout. I did a lot of adjusting switches/couplers/etc. My current layout was started in 1987 and was designed/built in a dedicated space in the house(still the basement. I spent a lot more time on the trackwork, and as I built rolling stock, I put good wheels and adjusted couplers as I built them. The railroad has about 450' of code 100 flex, and 46 turnouts in a 20 by 25 foot 'L' shaped room. I rarely have derailments other than 'operator' error. I have had only one area of the layout 'shift' due to expansion/swelling, and I live in Minnesota where we see big changes in temp/humidity.
The biggest maintenace headache has bee the old 'twin-coil' swich motors. They seem to need adjustment every year or so. I am now replacing them with Tortoise motors.
Couplers are a standard maintenace item, and my 300+ cars go through a fall ritual of inspection/wheel cleaning/coupler replacement.
My track was cleaned with a 'Brite Boy' last fall(2003), then followed up with a TTX track cleaner full of laquer thinner. I also had a 'masonite' block car in that track cleaning train. No engines/cars were allowed on the layout, until they had cleaned wheels. I ran all winter with no real electrical problems after that. I got a late start, but am inspecting/cleaning wheels this week, and will be running the track cleaning train as well. BTW, I only use metal wheels - plastic wheels seem to get dirty(static?), and are very hard to clean.

Jim Bernier

[IRONROOSTER]

One of the nice things about S scale is that it seems to require much less maintenance than HO. Even if it has been a couple months, the trains still run.
Enjoy
Paul

[dragenrider]

My layout is 4x12 (small?) and I don't have many problems with maintenance. The electrical system gives me no grief at all. My engines occasionally need a tune up and the metal wheels on the cars cut down on dirty track.

My biggest maintenance headache is my Shinahora turnouts. I reused some old ones and that was a mistake!! The second biggest problem is couplers. So, no, I don't think you're typical in your maintenance problems. Better check further! [xx(]

[Anonymous]

nice topic title

[Anonymous]

As long as it seems to be taking to get my 2 1/2' x 5' layout to a certain point, anything bigger would take even much longer. There is something to be said for keeping things to a "manageable size". That's not to say that a single person shouldn't put together a basement size empire over the years. It's just that available space and money aren't the only things your have to consider when planning your layout.

---jps

[cmrproducts]

Mikebonellisr

I have a 75” x 25’ layout with over 2600 feet of track. It is very low maintenance. I clean the track once a year, now that I have begun to use Metal polish on the rails. The engines only need the wheels cleaned once in 3 months. We operate on the layout every other week and sometimes during the summer I only get to run the layout on these nights. I just turn on the layout and everyone begins to run trains.

There are no stalling or poor running trains.

When I do have a problem with one of my 750+ cars the crew member that finds the problem fills out a Bad Order Card and removes the car from the layout. I then use the Bad Order Card info to determine the problem and correct it. This info is then put into a database. If the car has a reoccurring problem and it can not be fixed it is then gotten rid of.

I have many pages of ways to build a low/no maintenance layout if you would be interested. These have been published in our local NMRA Division newsletter.

I developed these ideas over many years maintaining several club layouts, in many scales, that were open to the public

BOB H Clarion, PA

[ClinchValleySD40]

I have to agree with Bob H. My layout is 60' x 30' and I have almost no maintenance issues at all and absolutely no electrical problems. Keep in mind, model railroading will require some maintenance no matter what, it's just the nature of the beast. Keeping it to a bare minimum is what we're after.

[darth9x9]

Thanks Bob H. and Larry B.,

I am in the early stages of planning a 3000 sq ft layout and the above problems have entered my mind. I believe if you spend the time doing things right the first time, you will enjoy the benefits for a much longer period of time.