Well its starting to get cold here in Chicago and winter is just around the corner and this being my first year of garden railroads I have a few questions regarding how I should winterize my railroad . Do you leave your plastic buildings out ? How about the people figures ? Etc…Etc…Etc.
Most of the buildings and people, particularly the plastic ones, are designed to stay out in all sorts of weather. These cars were left out overnight because I wanted to take a picture of them with the snow. Normally I bring in the cars during winter months, locomotives always. The buildings are going to need repairs at some point, but this is true of 1:1 structures too.
Perhaps the bigger issue is track. In my LGB rail joiners I use graphite lubricant paste #51010 to promote reliable electrical continuity. I operate all winter long as weather and snow depth permit.
So leave your buildings and track out and enjoy them as much as possible.
Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey
Where I live, we get heavy, wet lake effect snow. The last two years, my railroad (built on a berm) has disappeared in late November and I haven’t seen the tracks until March. I remove my trestle and support the track there with bricks. I have two simple bridges made of flat stones; a chunk of wood jammed between the abutments keeps them aligned.
I never leave my five or so buildings out, even in the summer, mainly due to the effects of UV on their signs, but also to avoid possible theft.
The LGB tracks have graphite lubricant in the joints, and there’s been very little voltage drop on the railroad over the years. It’s 11 years old.
I do spray the tenderest dwarf conifers with Wilt-pruf, to prevent windburn. The snow cover, when deep enough, helps, too. And I’m sure to water them well before the ground freezes. Otherwise, they can ‘freeze-dry’.
Just a few ideas, based on my experiences.
SandyR
Hey all,
Does anyone know the best way to protect dwarf Alberta Spruce. Thought about foam insulation cut to make a box to cover each one. Is this OK or will it suffocate them? This will be their first winter here. Later eh…Brian.
Brian,
If they are small enough, use a cheap styrofoam rose cone. $1-2 US. I have been using mine for years to protect all sorts of plants and of course roses.
Hey there,
Thanks for the tip. My wife works at a floral shop so I’ll get her to check with their supplier to see if they have them. Later eh…Brian.
Brian,
I’ve heard that you can use burlap to gently wrap the tree to protect it from windburn. It also allows the plant to “breathe.”
What’s snow?[oX)]
Sandy, your absolutely right, all evergreens bounce back much better when they get a good soaking before old man comes around, It also helps to water if tempretures rise above freezing for a day or so. My grandaddy taught me that lesson[:D]
Well you all know what i think about winterizing, it is a waste of time. Do what idid move to where there is no winter, this is a permanent winterisation.
Hpwever I was impressed with the pics of snow very nice indeed.
Yo u know I have only seen snow about 3 times in my life.
Rgds Ian
Brian,
We use burlap on all our jobs and we go through hathcock fabrics because they are cheaper than my wholesaler.
might add 4 poles around the little fellow/gal and wrap.
William,
We have a huge discount fabric shop here in the wholesale capital of Canada. Will see if I can get some burlap there. Tangerine Jack mentioned “What’s snow?”. Here our motto is “What’s Retail???” “Oh…that’s what everyone else pays.” Like I said once before…gotta’ stretch those hobby dollars! Later eh…Brian.
I am just getting into garden railroading, we do not get much snow or rain where I live in AZ. How do you protect your rails from the weather?
[#welcome] Robert
We don’t because the ties are UV protected and if you use brass rails then all you need to do is use LGB grease at joints and when top of track gets dirty you find a home depot or such and get a fine all purose sanding sponge to gently clean top of track.
Now remember this is a 12-18 v track not a battery track.
Battery track much simple, no cleaning because your engines run on battery power.
Some one will have more to say cause it is to late at night for me. Work in AM [xx(]
Robert,
Welcome to the forum! You get snow in Arizona??? When? As for the track as already mentioned it is made to withstand the elements. This only holds true with brass, stainless, or aluminum track. Bachmann track is pressed steel and WILL RUST if left outdoors. LGB, Aristo, and a few others make track specifically designed to be left outdoors. Any more questions…please ask…we’ll be glad to help! Enjoy the forum. Later eh…Brian.
Hey Ya’ll
I wi***hat we got snow here. I would love to recreate that first expeirience I had with Live Steam. I was on holiday (excuse the british sayings, I’m in the british mood today) in Denver Colorado and we were visiting my Dad’s friends house. It was freezing and we had to stay at his house for the next two days (My mom was nervous and wouldn’t lat us leave, I like driving down mountains in snow. My mom dosen’t). I had an old Garden Railways and Reading Vance Basses article on kitbashing a Roundhouse Lady Anne into a Consolodation. He leaned over my shoulder to see what I was reading. He said a few things about trains (nothing about Garden Railroads) and left for the Backyard. My parents knew that he loved trains and garden railroading and new I did too. They brought me here to surprise me, but in the exitment of snow, the forgot. He returned and asked If I would like a tour of the yard. We went out into a magnificent backyard with a lovey blanket f snow and a backdrop of the Rocky Moutains and Low and Behold, there was the Garden Railroad of my dreams. It was mesured 30X30 and was bustling with 4 live steam locomtoives. There was an Asetr C&S 2-6-0 with a passenger train climbing up the grade, a Rounhouse coal fired sandy river 2-6-2 with a mixed train, an Accucraft Ruby #1 converted to a Forney waiting to depart with a freight train, and a lovely Accucraft RGS 2-8-0 C16. It was heaven. i recall that he had 10 electric models (4 Bachmanns, 3 LGBs, and 3 Hartlands). He handed me another modified Ruby #1 and taught me what was what, and he let me control the line while he watched from the living room window with his wife and my parents. While he was there, the Aster headed straight for the Forney. He saw what was happenong form the window, but he let me handle it. There was no time to stop the trains, so I set the switch quicly, and just as the coaches of the Aster clearde, the switch snapped back and averted a terrible accident. I’ve got to go.
bye
I’ll post more of t
Winterizing here means no more fending off spiders while working on my layout! It also means wearing a coat or sweater but for the most part I get way way more done in the winter that in the summer. Its just too dang HOT here in the summer! No AC in the Garage and I can always add a propane heater in the depths of winter.[;)]
Brain, Arizona DOES get snow, mostly at the higher elevations but even Tucson in the south gets the occasional dusting. [:0]
Hey Ya’ll
It’s me again. I have just returned from school. It was a drag. We had to do a science project and our group had to make a diorama of a river. I used model water, and the base was styroafaom. BAD MISTAKE. When I returned to school the next day (I have science last), I found that instead of it hardening in the styrofoam base, it had soaked through and dripped over the edges of the chair it was sitting on in the back room. It had hardend on the chair and The chair looked like the roof of a fake house in a christmas villiage. It was disatorous. We were told that if we put a layer or two of rubber cement, it wouldn’t leak through. We did that, and I am going to buy another bottle tonight. (And some peices of plastic for the base.
Any way, Back to the story I started earlier. After that night, my new friend and I spent every possible hour, inute, second, and millisecond out in his garden. I saw a trestle fire caused by my Mamod (I sold i, It was an old one that I had bought, I want to buy a new one though). My mamod had run smoothly and without a problem until It stopped on his trestle and caught fire. We didn’t bother to put out the fire, because it was over a 4ft deep lake. When the tresle and my scratchbuilt stock ($ cars, I hated them anyway) had burned, what was left of the trele, and my train including my mamod “took the plunge” so to speak into the lake. I didn’t car as long as it was a live steamer and It made a lovely splash as the mamod and the remnants of my train and the trestle fell in to the pond.
A few months later, I got a letter saying that my friend died in a car crash and we were to attend the funeral in Denver. We arrived at his house to see many bored children sitting around while their parnets talked. My friends wife asked me to take the children out to the railroad (It was much warmer outside thatnk god) and run the trains for them. I was extreamly happy and the children were allowed to do what they wished exept touch the trains in the ra
snow that white stuff that come around in about dec here in okla.- i do take my bulidings in and my little people. .Covering my trees with burlap i didnt think aboutthat, and watering them before winter,good idea.I have my train run around my pond and have come up with a idea,that i hope well work.
Not only keep leaves out of pond but i hope well help keep track in better sharp then left before winter.(i dont like the cold much) You know them awnings that they use on RV s? im going to put one up that is 18’ over my pond with the screen like material that is use to keep rock in on trucks.[^]
happy trian to all and to all a good nite [:o)]
toms g train