Bachmann K27 and H2O

[KeithT]

I almost had a catastrophy with the K27 a couple of days ago. It had been running for a couple of hours but a storm threatened. Whilst I am OK about LGB locos running in the rain I find Bachmann less amenable. For one thing bits can go rusty after no more than heavy dew.
So, I stopped the loco under a wide bridge and placed a plastic sheet to cover the projecting 'bits'. After the deluge had passed I removed the sheet only to discover a small hole had allowed water to drop on the 'coal' in the tender. This is a rectangular insert allowing access to the electronics. On lifting the insert I found that there was a small pool lying in the well around the large opening allowing access to the circuit board. Fortunately, there is an upstand around the well but it showed the vulnerability of the electronics to water penetrating the tender.
To avoid any accidents in the future I intend constructing a cover to prevent water dropping directly onto the board. There is a slot to the front of the well which would allow any water falling into it to drain away before it tops the upstand.
A narrow escape though. Usually, when rain threatens I remove all Bachmann locos from the track. In this instance I was expecting a visitor and did not want the hassle of lifting 'the beast' off and then back onto the track.

 

[KeithT]

Some things are more resilient than we have a right to expect. I left a Modelsounds Master Blaster outside for several days , it was hidden behind a station building. It hammered down for at least 2 of those days before I discovered. By that time it had dried out!
After a recharge it fired-up without any problem.
Phew!
It is claimed to be shower resistant but not waterproof. They are often used in model boats but are not designed to emulate a submarine!)

 

[Dtsteam]

Keith, I think that if you're going to leave your K27 lying around, you should keep it in my shed

During the winter I tend to drag out a few older LGB engines with little or no electronics, and then stop worrying about the weather. I suppose in a way I was disappointed to discover that the more recent stuff isn't as weatherproof , and that the electronics are susceptible to damp. Having said that, as long as you can dry everything out fairly quickly no harm appears to be done. A few hours on a window ledge near a radiator tends to do the trick for me.

 

[KeithT]

Nice try David.... :wave:

 

[Madman]

"For one thing bits can go rusty after no more than heavy dew."

Natural weathering technique

 

[funandtrains]

I wouldn't let any modern loco that has more complicated electrics get damp, I know people who have had LGB boards blow just by running them on cool evening as due has formed on and in the loco and shorted out the boards.

 

[KeithT]

Steve i must have run at least 20 differnt LGb locos in the rain from time to time. Only one has a Massoth card in it and the rest are old, sometimes very old, analogue locos with never a stutter.
Thinks, the v next time I try it I will probably end up with real smoke and steam..............
I never allow any moisture near the MTS gear and always take it indoors when not in use. There have been too many horror stories of condensation or simply temperature variations affecting those.

 

[mikanmart]

I just constructed an erudite reply to the question of wetness and electronics , and not wishing to appear uneducated , previewed that wot I rote .
After previewing and admiring my superb erudition , I realised that I could not get back to edit it .
So , is it gone forever into the great space where all idiot messages written by the unwary end up ? (there must be a heck of a big rubbish bin out there somewhere)
Can someone enlighten me as to how not to lose my works of sheer poetry ?
Am I the only thick-head on this site ?
Please be gentle with your replies .

Mike

 

[beavercreek]

Hi Mike
It appears that the post editing policy on the forum has changed. It used to be that on some sections (nearly all?), you would have up to days and still be able to amend your text or add pictures etc but now it looks like you only have less than 30 minutes.
Not sure why this has happened. It has been flagged up a few times but no answer given or reason why. It is just...well....just..... changed.

I suggest that if you are ever to post something that you might want to add to, add a picture to or even just 'polish-up' a remark etc then do it first in a word processor and copy it into the post. A naff and cumbersome thing, but the only way now to keep your words to 'repost' in an amended form later.

 

[Hutch]

Before we moved to our present location, 37% humidity on a wet day, we lived in an area that rained 3 to 4 days a week and had the layout in our basement. The basement humidity would often exceed 'condensing' levels and trains, tools etc. would be covered with dew. I developed a very real distrust of electronics in these conditions. Luckily, taking items upstairs to dry would usually cure them, but not always. In the summer the air conditioning kept the humidity down somewhat, but spring, fall, and mild winters made ground fault interrupters a necessity for safety. Maybe that's why I'm just now looking into remote control for trains?

 

[mikanmart]

Aha ! The wonder of electronics . And to think that we become more reliant on it day by day . Thanks for letting me know.
With regards to the lost forever erudition , basically I was trying to offer advice over the problem of semi-exposed bits of wiring and components in our beloved toys .
I would hesitate to recommend making them weatherproof by inserting plastic covers without a detailed analysis of whether or not the open access to the loco's printed circuit boards (PCB's) is there to promote cooling of the pcb and items mounted on them by air circulation .
Removing free air flow from around the pcb's can lead to thermal runaway , which results usually in the pcb tracks blowing like a fuse and lifting . This does not necessarily render the result completely useless ; the breaks in tracks can be bypassed by using thin copper wire covered in shellac , simply (!) by soldering the wire to each of the broken ends .
This technique is used in commercial equipment , and is called "back-wiring" . It is only permitted to a limited extent per pcb , mainly because vibration can cause the thin shellac veneer to wear away and short out , especially where multiple back-wiring crosses over itself .
There are commercial items available to weatherproof pcb's , stocked by well known electronic gadget shops .
These range from simple sprays such as WD-40 to heat conducting silica compounds , the latter designed specifically to encapsulate pcb's yet allowing heat transfer via the compound . Because this compound spreads the heat from one hot component over a wider area , the pcb generally runs cooler than an air cooled one .
Both of these cures are in general use on commercial and military equipment wot I desined wen I wuz werkin .
In general , although this is all very interesting , I would be inclined to watch the weather and have a shed handy .
Either that or weather proof covers to drop over the more delicate bits .
Of course , if your good lady (keep the bad one out of sight) likes your hobby more than you do , she will willingly stand there with a large umbrella to keep the precious items safe and cuddly .
You could even offer to cook Sunday lunch while she does it ; note , I only said "offer" .

Mike