This may sound silly, but I’d rather ask than find out the hard way.
Is it detrimental to my rolling stock to leave it out on my layout for days or weeks at a time? I always put the locomotives away for safe keeping, but it gets monotonous to get out and put away 20-50 cars each time i want to run a different train. So other than the dust that collects on the roofs, what could go wrong?
Thanks. Mudekk
the BN in N scale
Most of my rolling stock including engines have been on the layout for the past ten years. The have required only the occasional dusting and routine maintenance. This is assuming the question is legit. If you are a garden railroader then I’d suggest you not leave anything out. BILL
You can cover your layout with those cheap, plastic drop cloths available at most hardware and home improvement stores. You may find it tedious, but it might help your situation.
I don’t know what your environmental situation is with your layout, but my Santa Fe is in a finished basement with heating and air conditioning, and the locos and cars are on the layout 24/7. The only time that changes is when I rotate motive power between shelves and the layout and restage trains in the “mole hole” with different consists. I have way too much equipment to box and unbox it, my house would be a fire hazard with all the boxes alone. The current layout was started in 1983 and has not suffered any damage to the equipment sitting on the tracks during the time from that date to 2010.
Bob
We leave locomotives and rolling stock out on our HO scale club layout all the time. The only problem we encounter is having to dust it off periodically. The same with my HO scale home layout – I’ve had locomotives and rolling stock sitting on sidings since it was built.
My G scale trains are stored in a garden tool shed. I could probably leave them out in the weather because most of it is totally weatherproof.
Once locos/cars are put on the layout they never leave except for routine maintenance. The more you handle the models the more chances there are to break off details and other delicate parts and your fingers will leave oils and dirt behind as well. Put 'em on the tracks and keep your hands off them. Many of my models have been on the layout for 20 years.
My rolling stock stays out all the time unless I get tired of looking at it. In that case, the offending item is put up in the cabinet and replaced by some other piece of rolling stock.
Hadn’t thought about the oil & dirt from my fingers handling the cars all the times I get them out and put them away. Appreciate all the comments; they’re exactly what I was hoping to hear. I’ll be leaving my engines & rolling stock out!!!
If you have a problem with excessive dust (unfinished basement), you could cover everything with a light plastic drop cloth which you can get at your local hardware store. Or, cover the ceiling with the plastic drop cloth.
I follow prototype practice, and I’ve never heard of a full-scale railroad that didn’t simply leave ALL rolling stock standing on rails - usually out in the weather.
My layout space is a non-climate-controlled garage in the Dessicated Desert. Thanks to a gas hot water heater and local codes, I have vents open to the outside that can NOT be closed. The screening in the openings keeps ‘critters’ out, but doesn’t even slow dust. One of my locomotives, a solid-lead block with a wheel at each corner, has been on the layout since construction started, removed only for scheduled maintenance. I just parked it a few hours ago - it powers my work train.
Unless you have household critters (cats) or undisciplined youngsters with free access to the layout, there is no valid reason to remove anything from the rails between operating sessions. In fact, handling your models is more likely to cause damage to delicate detail. Many modelers avoid touching their detailed models for that reason.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)