Layout Environment

[Anonymous]

Is it practical to build an HO layout in an area (room) where the temperature is "loosely" controlled? A temperature range between 55-95 degress F are possible as season changes.

[BNSFNUT]

My train room temps range from 55-80 over the seasons and this time of year will change from 55 to 65 in a span of about 2 hrs as I turn on the space heater.
I have had two on going problems, kinks in the rail from rails layed in low temps and joints opening up with rail layed at higher temps.
For the most part it has been only an minor problems. The problem only occurs with track that is layed with long sections of flex tracks. Where I have used some sectional track I do not get these problems. I do not know why the sectional stuff is more stable unless it is because I only used in short areas just to use it up and there is no long runs like you get with flex track
Later
Jerry

[emdgp92]

My railroad currently lives in one of the outbuildings at my grandmother's farm. The only problem that I've had, is that the track doesn't stay clean very long. I usually clean it about once a month. Temps vary between 0 and 100 F all year long, but it doesn't seem to be screwing up the benchwork or track. I should add that I don't leave my engines in there... the temps (and moisture) would damage the motors... so I bring them inside when I'm done running trains.

[Anonymous]

My previous layout was in my garage where the temperature fluctuated between 35 degree and 110 degrees duting the year. I used flex track and laid the track at temperatures between 70 and eighty degrees. I never operated during the cold extremes, but when theperature rose over 90 there were some spots where certain locos derailed. My current layout is indoors so, I don't have to deal with temperature extremes any longer.

[Anonymous]

It is definitly possible to build a layout under these conditions.

I once belonged to a club that was in an unheated second floor over a general store heated by a space heater. The temperatures varied from the low teens in winter to well over 100 in the summer.

The way to avoid the expansion problems that the others talk about is to leave the gaps at every three foot flextrack joint. The joints are held in place by rail joiners that are not soldered. Run a feeder to each section of rail so that you are not depending on the joiner to conduct the electricity. With this set up each section of rail can expand and contract on it's own. The problem comes when long sections of rail are soldered together forcing all the expansion to the joint on the end.

Hope this helps.