Model trains and dry climates

[Bikerdad]

DUST. The drier it gets, the more of an issue dust becomes. Another potential problem, depending on where the layout is placed, is UV degradation of paint, scenery, and at a slower pace, plastics and wood. The harshness of the desert sun is not a myth.

[wp8thsub]

I live in northern Utah, in the valley floor near the Great Salt Lake where we get about 14"-16" of precipitation a year, and summer humidity hovers around 20%. Winter temperatures hit 0 F and summer can exceed 100. Compared to what I hear from modelers in wetter climates I think we have it easy when it comes to our layouts.

Dehumidifiers aren't needed, and expansion/contraction of the benchwork due to changes in humidity isn't much of a problem, especially in a basement (I haven't put a layout in a garage, but modules stored in a garage didn't show any problems either). I've never experienced climate-related problems with lubrication or static harming command control.

I can get away with 1/2" plywood roadbed on 16" centers, while I've heard from some modelers in more humid climes that they have to fight sagging roadbed if it's less than 3/4" thick.

[tstage]

I posed the following post on the "Layout and layout buildings" forum early this morning and just realized that I probably should have posted it here on the general discussion page instead. For those of you who have already read this thread - you can ignore it again. (cacole, thanks for your response already!)

Happy New Years to all my fellow MRR's on the forum!

I was thinking recently about the different environments/conditions that we MRR's keep our layouts in. (Indoors, outdoors, basements, attics, sheds, etc.) My musing leads me to ask you all the following question:

Of those of you who live and have your layouts in more arid regions (e.g. the southwest US), are there any special challenges that you experience that those of us in more humid climates might not?

Two that immediately come to mind are: static (in reference to DCC circuit boards) and lubrication (premature drying out).

Just curious...

Tom