My train room is currently an unheated and un-insulated room above my garage. I always have a dilemma: Do I work on insulating and wiring the room, or do I work on the layout? With four kids between the age of 3 and 16, neither task gets the time it deserves.
Anyway, I have been buying locomotives that fit my era when I can find them, and these get stored in the train room. Living in the Northeast, this room can currently have temperature swings from 0 F to 100 F. I’m curious if anyone has run into problems with their locos after they have experienced substantial temperature swings?
I know from first hand experience that in the long run you will be better off with completing the climate control of the room space before you concentrate on the layout.
In the 1970’s my dad and I built a HO layout in a small building behind the house. We called it the “shed” because it did not have AC or heat and no insulation in the walls or ceiling. It was more like a detached garage than a house. In any case, the high humidity and temperature variances of living in the Deep South took its toll on the electronics. If it was 100% humidity and 100 degrees outside, it was about that inside the shed too. Same for the cold months too, if it was 40 degrees and 100% humidity outside it was about that out there too!
Up until recently, my layout was in an outbuilding on my grandmother’s farm. This building had no heat (other than a fireplace downstairs), no A/C, etc. It was either hot or cold constantly. I didn’t have problems with things expanding or contracting. I was concerned though, about what the temperature and humidity would do to my locomotives…so I kept them in the house.
Finish the room and equipt it with some kind of life support.
I hate to think what humidty can do to the insides of the QSI tenders which must generate some form of heat from the on-board electronics.
One of the local clubs had no trouble running trains in 40 degree weather with rain outside the barn with the help of a space heater. I was ill at the time and did not partake in the experience. Yeech.
My layout is inside. It is very small because that’s all the space I have to give it. I plan on moving by the end of the year. One requirement is a basement, or if not maybe a room over the garage. What we are looking at may not have a garage. But, there is a kit, 2-car with gambrel (barn style) room above.
I would then do some insulating up there, and aquire a second-hand furnace. Check your paper classifieds. Many people are replacing one that does work alright, they are updating, adding a/c, or more efficient, etc. and will sell cheap, or sometimes give away. Mind you, in the midst of the heating season as we are now, they will want $$ or more $$ if they can get it. So check more in the summer.
Put it in. It need not be run at 80* 24/7. Nor does it need to keep your layout at the same high temp as the house while it is empty.Most thermostats go down to 50*, then turn it up when you are in it working/playing to about 70. Insulated ductwork will help keep the heat upstairs and not in the garage.
I don’t know what that temp will do to equipment, but at least they won’t be sitting idle at frigid temperatures. Allow expansion joints.
Before I bought anymore foam insulation boards to lay down on my layout I’d be doing some insulating in the room it lays in. Buy yourself
Well seeing as it was about 5 out today around here. With no insultation or climate control I assume 60 percent of the time its uncomfterable in the train room. Even at 50 it still a little cold to run trains, even though I would be wearing shorts. And for me 75 would be to hot to run trains. So I suggest getting the room taking care of so you can enjoy your layout to the max.
0 degrees tonight,-15 last night, put some kits together!!! When you work on your room have the kids help. I helped my father build several buildings, working together is quality time and makes for fond memories as well as being a learning situation. I was under 5 on the first one 40 the last one, wish he was still around to help me finish the room I’m trying to get into now.
My wife also learned many good carpentry skill from her father. Girls can measure, hammer and saw too.
FIX THE ROOM! I’m running into the same thing right now. Metal roof. No insulation. Two electric space heaters kept it above freezing but that’s not good enough. The table gets cold and stays cold and contracts. I laid some track last summer. (90-110 degrees) and it’s OK. The stuff I laid this winter (30-40 degrees) is giving me fits! Now that it’s warming up the tables expanding and causing some kinks. I was out cutting reliefs in the rails today.
I’m looking at a unit that’s AC/heater/dehumidifier all in one. $500-$700. An attic style fan will help a lot in the summer. That installed at the peak of the roof will drop the temp 30 degrees and take a lot of humidity out.
PS- A sprinkler set on low on the roof can drop the temp 20 degrees on a hot day.
Are you planning on heat & air? If not air if you have a dark roof & the sun comes out you are looking at needing air soon. When I lived with my parents, I had a layout in the attic & a black a roof made it hot in March in TN. Hot can be as bad as cold on rail expansuon & discomfort. I definitely work on insulation & wiring before going to far with the layout. Tweet.
It happens to be 0F tonight, and maybe go up to 20at noon, in Southern Michigan. During the early Fall I completely insulated, floor walls and ceiling of my 24’x24’ garage loft layout room, with rolls of 3" thick Fiberglass strips. Then I installed 2’x4’ suspended ceiling tile,with ten flourescent 2 tube shop lights screwed to the cross rafters. To control the temperature, I would suggest an Air conditioning unit with adjustable temperature-humidity control. The two telescoping ducts fit into a plate that fits at the bottom of one of the end windows. The forced air heat pump by itself, usually keeps the temperature around 70*F ( With this cold snap, I have added three moveable electric space heaters.) Spring is just around the corner! Bob
Heating an uninsulated room would be as economical as driving a hemi at full bore all the time. My garage was uninsulated and had gaps around the entrance door and was fully opened at the top of the folding door, allowing for full ambiant air circulation. I used a 35,000 BTU torpedoe tube propane heater whenever I worked in there. It usually had to run only ten minute before I broke out in a sweat with the temperature hovering around 80 degrees. Now that the garage is sealed and fully insulated, the heater no longer operative, a standard 1500 watt electric space heater (around 8300 BTU) is all that would be needed. The room’s temperature swing now problably ranges from 50 to 80 degrees during the year since it is located on a wooded lot that is shaded most of the year.
I stored all my stuff in Florida for a year in a non-envorinmentally controlled storage room, then again a few years later in Wyoming for a couple of years in the same situation. Florida - high humidity and temperatures from about 40 to 100 in the storeroom. Wyoming - low humidity, temperature about -15 to over 100 in the storage room. No problems, but I think I was pretty lucky.