I was wondering what precautions, if any, the readers of this forum take to protect their trains and layouts.
There has been a lot of weather and flooding-related discussion in the news this past week, and even more of the same going into the weekend. Not just here in the Northeast but throughout much of the country.
I’ve had family, neighbors, and friends lose more than just money and replaceable stuff from flooding. Some more than once.
Many of us take up residence in our basements for our train hobby. I’ve seen remarkable pictures of layouts and trains in the forum. From what I’ve read in threads about property and casualty insurance for these trains, I realize that their replacement is not as simple as writing a check.
Some of the trains carry generations of irreplaceable memories, much of which is tied to family and friends. Some of the layouts represent a body of work that took years of work to evolve and achieve.
This thread may be rehashing things that have already been beaten to death for some. Or too obvious to others. But the timing of the year and the way that the weather has moved outside of the weather portion of the news and into the mainstream portion, I thought it might be appropriate to resurrect the topic.
So, what precautions, if any, do you take to protect your trains and/or layouts from the elements? Garden railroaders included, if you read this.
I live in hurricane alley here in south Florida, generally when a strong storm approaches I take my trains off the track and store them under the table in boxes or move them to another room in boxes for safe keeping.
Used to live up north and had a basement flood to over three feet deep, so I would say to remove all trains from a basement layout, and store them upstairs, when a heavy soaking rain is expected, like in hurricane Agness in 1972.
My layout sits about 3 and 1/2 feet off the basement floor. Anything stored under there or in the basement is up on pallets at least 4-5" off the floor. I live up on a hill so water isn’t normally an issue unless I get a sewer backup. Even then damage would be limted. I do though keep all things of value up.
It was unusuall that the storm in 1972 dumped that much rain on southeastern Pennsylvania but it does happen. Best thing to do is pay attention to the weather reports.
Locos are all in sealed Tupperware containers with cardboard dividers and bowls of silica gel. If high water approaches, I move them upstairs from the basement. All rolling stock not on shelves comes upstairs in the event as well.
My layout is going to be in the basement. Background is being built, as we speak. So here a few things I’m doing to hopefully prevent any disasters!
I have added a second sump crock in the corner of the basement with a sump pump and a battery back-up pump, in case of a power outage.
Also added smoke detector and CO detector, as I have to share the room with the water heaters and furnaces.
Before the layout is started, I have repaired, sealed and painted the basement walls, so there hopefully won’t be any water seepeage through the block walls.
Installed fire extinguisher in the train room!
Hopefully the above items will prevent any disasters!
And FINALLY, I would recommend taking out an insurance policy on your collection. Several firms specialize in collection insurance; I have mine through the J.A. Bash Agency in Pittsburgh which is sponsored by the TCA, but there are others. I sleep better at night that way!
My layout is in a bonus room on the 2nd floor of my house, were the house already sits 4 feets above the ground on its foundation. It has 2 shatterproof windows.
Our layout is on the second floor in an unused bedroom. Where our house sets well above flood stage, even the 1937 flood was not an issue and in the shadow of a tall hill that shields us from the the Southwest, the direction of tornadows normal path. Additional protection is a keyed door lock to the train room.
Western Pennnsylvania is very prone to floods and we probably get bad ones every two years. The valleys are steep and narrow and with a heavy rain storm many of them flood. I think we have had three major flood in the past four years. They may be local but if you live there it isn’t so local.
If the containers are air-tight (like Tupperware), why do you need silica gel? Can moisture still get in? BTW, your creativity continues to amaze me! Did you think of this, or your wife?
Airtight containers lock in air that contains a certain amount of humidity as well as lock it out.
Can’t recall who posted today that their sump pump is getting quite a workout. Based on the weather, that could be over half the guys on this forum.
My FIL called from Illinois last week and said he couldn’t figure out why his sump pump wasn’t shutting off…until he found hoses in HIS back and side yards. He traced them back to his next door neighbor’s place who was moving his own sumps’ outflow water clear off his property!
One of the neighbor’s hoses was placed 4 feet from my FIL’s foundation. So FIL went and politely and quietly moved it back. When the guy realized how FIL had thwarted his drainage plan, he was ringing FIL’s doorbell, less than happy. Yes, neighbor was not happy! Go figure.
I would have released the hounds on the guy or stuck a bannana in his hoses.
It’s just not the weather you need to worry about. The store recently bought, at salvage value, a collection out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The collector has hot water heating with the pipes in the ceiling over the train room. While on a business trip a pipe burst soaking thier layout and collection. For the most part the boxes were ruined and some accessories. The insurance company covered the loss based on an appraisal of the collection from our store, the collector is a customer, using current replacement costs. After settlement the insurance company, I believe it was State Farm, put the “damaged” items out for bid. We were the successful bidder and now have a load of goodies that have boxes that were wet or no boxes. The contents suffered little, if any, water damage.
The containers are not air tight, John. But they do keep the trains organized and free of dust. The silica gel is used to absorb the moisture in the air. I change it out every few months in the winter, more frequently in the summer when humidity rises. Silica gel can be recharged and used again by baking it in the oven. But it’s cheap enough that one doesn’t really need to. I read about using silia gel on-line way back when.
Oh, about my wife - she wants me to get a hair cut for Easter. I’m not going to! [(-D]
My 86 year old FIL looked incredulously at the neighbor, promptly marched out the front door, said,“Come with me,” and proceeded to lead the guy through the side yard to the back yard which by this time was beginning to look like a pond.
Needless to say, both were standing ankle deep in a quagmire. FIL said “As you can see, I’ve got enough water over here and don’t need yours too. Why would you try to flood me out?”
Guy said nothing, turned, and stomped off but had to retrieve a shoe when it got stuck in the muck and popped off his foot. No apology. Nothing, but the hoses disappeared shortly thereafter, probably wound up placed similarly in another neighbor’s yard. That’s how guys like this think.
It’s not easy to be 86 and try to live independently while a rogue neighbor thinks the world revolves around him and, through his actions, tells everyone else to stick it. At 86 it’s also not wise or safe for my FIL to have this kind of chat with a person who clearly thinks the way he does.
Told my FIL there are safer ways to handle these situations. Call the guy and if he’s not compliant, let the police handle it.
Jack
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My FIL called from Illinois last week and said he couldn’t figure out why his sump pump wasn’t shutting off…until he found hoses in HIS back and side yards. He traced them back to his next door neighbor’s place who was moving his own sumps’ outflow water clear off his property!
One of the neighbor’s hoses was placed 4 feet from my FIL’s foundation. So FIL went and politely and quietly moved it back. When th
Jack, it’s great that your FIL is able to live independently at his age. His neighbor obviously thinks he can get away with his outrageous behavior just because your FIL is a senior citizen. You should do a thorough inspection of your FIL’s property, and make sure that abusive neighbor isn’t up to any other dirty tricks.