Three part question for people with outdoor DCC layouts:
Trying to put together some statistics for a document I’m working on. I appreciate any answers - thank you.
That’s okay. Some here are working on their letter to Santa, too. [swg]
Are you talking about large scale?
A great majority of large scale garden railroaders use onboard battery power and don’t have to clean track.
Some do use DCC based control systems, but many use other radio control based systems.
As for HO or O scale outdoors, not a good idea at all in most climates.
Never known anyone to successfully operate HO, or even O, outdoors for an extended number of years. The track is not up to the task.
Sheldon
My only experience with outdoor model trains is with G gauge and it isn’t good at all.
Before I decided to go with my G gauge I read everything I could find on the subject, there were no negatives. It was fun for about three months. Then the negatives started and never quit.
I expected dirt on the rails and bought a track cleaning car, it worked great for dirt.
The Sun is a killer on plastics. Ants love the rails (their freeway) and when the wheels crush the ants if you don’t clean the squished ants off the rails and wheels their internal juices are acidic and will eat the rails and wheels. Spiders get into everything. Birds do their thing on everything. Pets think everything is something to play with.
My G gauge railroad lasted 18 months and I sold it at a loss, about 50¢ on the dollar.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Ken Patterson has one. He lives near the Mississippi River. He has 3 videos which might answer some of your questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rludVMY5fo&t=66s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbPoaliaeLY&t=121s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL2xmurhULY&t=147s
TSG Multimedia, on Youtube, visits the Fern Creek & Western in No California and regularly. He has done video tours of other outdoor layouts.
https://www.youtube.com/c/tsgmultimedia/search?query=garden
If you can get in touch with someone involved in these railroads, they can probably help you network with others whose main interest is in garden railways.