I’ve been wondering does a cool or sometimes cold basement, have an effect on engines, or anything with a motor. During the winter months the temp in my basement can reach 58 degrees on the coldest day’s outside. What do you guys think?
58 degrees? The basement housing my layout gets so cold I usually model with a coat, hat, and fingerless gloves on! So far it hasn’t gotten into the single digits, although it’s gone waaaay below 58! I’ve never had any problems with locomotives, or anything else for that matter although it does take a couple days longer for glue to dry. I wouldn’t worry about it.
If all things were equal, and there was little or no viscosity in the bearing lube, an engine would run better in a cool or cold environment. Factors that effect the performance include, but are not limited to:
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Electricity conducts better in lower temps (the conductor’s molecules are more densely packed in a colder climate.
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Lube on commutator in electric motor would increase drag when cooler.
On the other hand, what temperature do you keep your basement in the summer? If there is too much of a swing in temperature, rail buckling can occur because of expansion or the rails. Summer or winter, I keep my train room (aka… the basement) at close to a constant 68°.
Not really.Cool weather in fact helps mechanical components keep cool,as long as it is not too cold though.As mentionned previously,lubricating agents tend to be thicker and less lubricating but this under real cold weather,near or below freezing point.However,I’d suggest going easy for the first few minutes so that the motor warms up a little before pushing it to its limit.
On the other hand,as also mentionned,too wide temperature differences can create havoc of your trackwork as expansion is impossible to avoid.Proper gaps between rail sections are a necessity in such case.
The real killer of most mechanical components is humidity as it will induce and increase corrosion.If your humidity level is correct,you shouldn’t worry about cool.
Ok thanks guys, I was starting to wounder that last year. My basement isn’t Insulated, just plastic over the windows. I haven’t checked the temp down there yet this month, it might be in the 60’s. And during the summer the temp gets to around the upper 70’s.
Mine is in the basement as well and I have not had any problems in the 4 years mine has been there !
Dan, you should be fine at 58 degrees. My layout is in my garage, and it is heated. Section by the door will get down to the 30’s when it is really cold out side, say in the teens. Get home crank the heat and yet to have any wood or rails to buckle.
If 58 is to cold for you to enjoy the basement, might install a vent in the heating duct that you can open and close.
Cuda Ken
Oh yeah, layout-wise, it’s bad. Locomotives are fine, but I always have a lot of track repair and replacement to do in the fall when the temperatures start dropping. I assume I’ll be repeating this in the spring too. My lift bridge especially has been having issues with the rails aligning. I keep a dehumidifier in the basement and run it whenever the basement is humid.
Your basement is extremely hot compared to our HO scale clubhouse, which has no heat at all except for some portable propane heaters that are used only when someone is in the building. Temperatures this time of year go below freezing at night and the clubhouse interior is hovering around 40 degrees.
The cold does not seem to be having any detrimental effect on any of the models.
Cool isn’t a problem…At least I haven’t found it to be.
OTOH, to much humidity can cause all sort of trouble! I bought some used stuff from a fellow that had his pike in a VERY damp basement. You could see corrosion on metal and the gears of a locomotive or two seemed to be gummed up.
I don’t think so…I keep my in service HO locomotives at the Bucyrus club which is located at the fairground in a block building that is heated once a week with no effects.
I’ve never had any problems running mine in the chilly basement. (they’ve been there for 10 years) but I don’t keep them there when they aren’t running they are usually in a 70 degree room.
Right now it is 47 degrees in the garage. In the summer it can hit 100 degrees. I cool it down to 80 or so for operating sessions. I experience no problems under any temperature condition with track, locomotives or rolling stock. The layout is constructed of wood-framed modular sections topped with plywood (cookie cutter fashion) or pink foam, all materials that are dimensionally stable regardless of heat or humidity. John Timm
Ok thanks for the feed back guys. [:)]
It would help your heating bill and your comfort though if you get some bat insulation and insulate the outer sills of the house. It doesn’t take much, (a couple of rolls, less than $50). A cold basement acts like a heat sink and sucks the heat out of the home and causes cold floors and drafts.
Once you close up all the sill pockets with batt insulation and add a vent to your ductwork you’ll be amazed how much warmer the basement will be and the floors upstairs won’t be cold to walk on either and your heating bill should go down… The cinderblock/concrete wallls act as a heatsink and within a week or two the walls will absorb enough heat so that one vent will raise the temp in the basement by about 10 degrees. Also cut some 2" foam for the windows openings as well.
I insulated the whole basement ceiling, but not the walls and I have only the one vent and I can hang out in the basement in a T-shirt yearround, whether it’s zero or 90 degrees outside.
Yes that would be great, we’ve been thinking about that.
We live in an old farmhouse, and our unfinished, brick walled basement stays around 58 to 60 degrees this time of year. I run a dehumidifier on auto year round, and the humidity is usually around 40%. There is one vent on the furnace, and when it is cold outside and we are burning a fire upstairs, like today, the furnace does not kick on and the basement gets no heat. Usually this is just for an evening, and when we crash, the fire burns out and the furnace takes over. I can always add another vent or 2 to the ductwork, but I may need to add another heat source for cold weekend days when we’re using the fireplace.
My locos seem to do ok on cold days; it’s ME that moves sluggish and has problems when the mercury drops!
Things like roadbed are more likely to be affected than engines. One advantage of Kato or Atlas “clicktrack” with roadbed is they’re not going to be subject to track buckling caused by the roadbed expanding or contracting due to weather changes.
My layout is located in an out building behind my home. No heat and part of it is dirt floors. The temp shoudl not affect your engines but it may create track problems due to thermal expansion. Never lay track during weather extremes. Spring or fall is the best time if you are not in a climate controlled environment.
The humidity is probably a worse problem. But I am still using DC, so other than a little corrosion, no big problems.