I’ve seen several well done layouts in which a lot of time and money has obviously been invested, but there is so much dust on everything that it seriously detracts from the layout. How do you deal with this-what methods work best for removing it, and what works best for preventing it from getting there in the first place?
first and foremost a layout and the trains needs to periodically be maintained. A light dusting is all it takes. A vacuum with brush attachment helps as well. Also if the layout is in a dusty area consider a portable hepa filter and leave it on the low fan setting. Dust will be a memory. If the house has forced air, change the filter box with one that takes a hepa filter. I did that and the entire house is much cleaner and the filter only requires replacing once a year. Oh an allergy symptoms drop big time.
Dust prevention is the best method.
My layout is in a dedicated room that is finished off. That is the room is dry walled and painted, with a closed ceiling and tile floor. It also has a door that I keep closed at all times. A/C is ducted in. The only dust and dirt that is generated is done by me when working on the layout, and that is vacuumed up when the work day is over.
We had a new furnace put in last November and at the time had a good quality electronic air cleaner put in. We did the air cleaner because we have six Golden Relievers and my wife in her old age (48) is becoming more sensitive to dust and dander. Wow what a difference that made to the dust level in the house. The train room is noticeably less dusty. The fan now runs on low continuously so it constantly cleans the air.
The other thing I did a couple years back was buy two dedicated brush attachments for the vacuum hose. These were more expensive than your run of the mill brushes as they have really soft bristles on them. They are meant for delicate cleaning and they work well. I keep them well hidden in the train room so they don’t get used for daily cleaning and come back covered in dog hair.[|(]
Brent
PS: A good retriever is also a natural Railroader.[C):-)]
Painting/sealing/carpeting a bare concrete floor will to wonders do keep dust down.
Some good ideas. I might have to go pick up one of those portable hepa filter fans.
I only have one golden retrievier and my house is covered in dog hair. (I cannot imaging 6!!! Wow!)
I’ve been using one of those dirt devils a small hand vacuum.
I have my layout in the garage and I have taken some steps to help reduce dust issues.
-
Drop cieling over the layout at minimum. Mine is only over the layout from wall to vallance.
-
Add filters to the vents.
-
Keep the doors closed as much as is reasonable.
-
Added a vallance to the top and a fascia, but the “viewing window” is open to the garage.
-
Gleam and No-ox the track to reduce track cleaning chores to vacuuming. Avoid running the trains until you vacuum if you have not run them in a while.
-
Avoid deap carpets that release dust like crazy with every step.
An inside the house layout is the dream but I have managed. The structures and equipment do get the natural weathering of dust but track cleaning has been reduced considerably making it less cumbersome to enjoy my trains. I now walk into the garage turn the lights and power on, dial up a loco, and go. Much better then spending an hour or so with the alcahol bottle and cloth before I run.
I keep the layout covered with a 3 X 3 matrix of black plastic garbage bags that are duct taped together when its not in use. Before I run anything, I usually vacuum and/or wipe the rails down with an old T-shirt as well…it keeps my problems to a minimum.
Leaf blower.
Seriously, I use a makeup brush, the fluffiest you can find and a small shop vac with a small attachment set I got from Sears. It has a brush attachment and worls well, but for more fragile areas, the makeup brush to dust and the shop vac held near to catch the dust.
The best way is to keep dust down is to not let it enter. Almost impossible but if you seal the room so to speak with a finished ceiling and carpet on the floor it works wonders to keep dust to a minimum. I’ve heard, though never seen, of people who put those little mini furnace filters over the vents to stop the dust that accumulates in the duct work from blowing in the room. Sounds like it’d work to me but I can’t verify.
You forgot the other item to go with the “leaf blower”, you have to have a “power washer” as well!!!
Power wash that baby then hit it with one of those Stihl “back pack” leaf blowers and no more dust!!!
You’ll also find out which structures you forgot to attach to the layout as well as any rolling stock that’s not weighted correctly!!
WARNING: Do not power wash your electrical equipment as this may result in a fire hazard!!!
Mark ;-]
I’m seriously looking to get a portable HEPA filter. I found this unit here. Is this a good unit for a 12’ x 15’ room?
I do like the fact it removes odors. Solves a lot of issues with the dinner menu. However, I have had experience with different types of thes contraptions. The problem is, the actual amount of area they efficiently take care of. Will this actually take care of the entire room? Also will it remove a significant amount of dust prior to it landing. I have had experience with the ionizing ones and they did pretty much nil for dust in the majority of the room unless they could get the dust to circulate and pass through the equipment before settling. Fine if the dust only enters through a certain part. My opinion, and that is all it is, is that this thing would have to have one heck of a air exchange rate in the room almost to the point of turbulance to get a significant amount of dust out of the room and into the filter. Also how loud? 26 db from where 6 in, 1 ft, 10 ft. Some of these are loud enough to drive you nuts. Just thinking.
I’m sure others have tried them and have a better feeling for if they are worth it.
Talking of dust - Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg employs 2 people, who do nothing else than to vac the dust of the layout during night shift - 6 days a week, 52 weeks in a year!
They use home made vacuum cleaners with a special filter, so they can retrieve all those little Preiser figures that inevitably get sucked up.
Hmm, well from some reviews I just found about this unit. It has an ionizer as well as the HEPA to filter dust. Apparantly it circulates the air in the room, so dust flying around would eventually get into the filters.
It has a timer on it, so when I’m not home I can turn it on full blast, when I get home just turn it to low settings.
I think I’ll just get it and see, my 6 month old layout is already dusty as heck.
I too installed a Hepa filter on my furnace when I replaced it in 06 I also have my ducts cleaned every two years. My son is very susceptible to allergies etc. so it helps to have a buddy in the duct cleaning business. Also I vacuum the layout regularly using a tip I picked up here on the board covering the end of the vacuum pipe with a piece of nylon stocking.it prevents you from sucking up scenery and little people.
I know a guy who uses a spray bottle and water to spritz his entire layout. He then lets it dry and he is done. Similar to getting a misty rain shower in real life not to mention that any dust that runs down the structures over repeated use could and does simulate some light weathering.
For those of you with forced air heating and airconditioning, be sure to clean or replace your filters at least twice a year and more often if you live in a dusty locale.
I use my dust as an affordable sound system for steam locomotives… … Ah Choo! … Oh, never mind.
That sounds like a great idea for grass/trees ballast and such. I’ll have to give it a try. Don’t think I’d try it on my structures though.
My goal was to be able to enter the train room and run trains with minimal fuss. Currenlty I go out there and turn on 2 switches for powering the layout and lights and go. I only vaccuum once in a while. Maybe once every three months and that depends on how much dust I have kicked up in the garage with the door open. I know this is repeating some of what was already said but I thought it would be helpfull to add to it.
I hit my goal so am very happy now. In the past I would go months without any train activity and my wife always pointed out how irritable I become. As she always points out to her mom, if he did not play with trains who knows what he would be doing instead.
Make it as easy and with as little fuss as possible to turn the layut on and run trains. Makes a better host and a more satisfied modeler/tra