Layouts over winter

A

aovenden

Registered
Hello,
This being the first winter after setting up my railway, I wondered what people do over the winter in terms of what to leave out and what to bring in. I have no buildings yet so that's not worry at the moment. my main concern is things like point motors and electric un-couplers. Is it best remove all these for the winter or will they survive outside.

Cheers,
Alan.
 
Just musing - No actual experience of leaving things outside.. :(

If you can easily remove them, then bring them in. - Proviso being bare wire-ends will tarnish, and this will 'creep' up the insulation.. If there is not enough to re-terminate, then tin the ends, and seal then for the winter. Hot-melt glue should peel-off next season.

Or, you could just put a take-away tub / plantpot / what-have-you and half a brick over them.. That should keep the worst of the weather off.

Protect electrical cable, if you can. UV will degrade the plastics in a couple of years.

I do know of LGB point motors that have been outside, unprotected, for several years.. A squirt of lube, and eviction of creepy-crawlies, seems to suffice. - Though one which sat under-water for a few months did become quite sluggish!! ::)
 
Yea, it's an ongoing debate as to how to protect our stuff in those dreary months. When I ran track power and had point motors in use, I found that nothing worked except maintenance. Bugs and dirt found their way into the smallest of openings. So at least once a year I would remove the point motor and bring it into my shop for a complete overhaul. I have since abandoned motorized point motors and do all of my switching manually. However, to make life easier for those that prefer electrical operation of their turnouts, I would suggest a male/female connection of the wiring at each point motor. This way you can just unplug the connection, remove the point motor and store it for the cold months and do some maintenance at the same time.

I gave electric uncouplers a try for a couple of years. They worked and didn't work, depending on "stuff" getting beneath the mechanism. With ballasted track it was a pain to have to clean each uncoupler almost every time I wanted to run trains. I also tried boozing the voltage and even tried straight DC with a momentary toggle switch. Still, the main culprit was dirt and grit fouling the lift bar. So I would suggest doing the same with these as far as the wiring connections go. Make it simple to remove the entire uncoupler. Use Split Jaw or some other brand of rail clamps so that the entire mechanism can be removed easily.
 
I used to leave buildings out throughout the year but even though most are resin kits I now bring them inside over the winter as, after five years, they had deteriorated quite badly and needed a complete overhaul. I leave point motors out all year but bring them in in the Spring for maintenance. Mine have been out for around 8 years and are beginning to get a bit corroded inside. However, as long as they keep working ....... Track of course stays out all year. Everything else comes in and out for each operating session. Sometimes, however, I just run a train without bothering to put out all the other paraphernalia - particularly if I just want to run a train for half an hour or so.

Rik
 
Assuming your motors are LGB, Piko or TrainLine, experience since 1999 says leave them outside. Mine have coped with being under a foot of snow, flooded to a depth of several inches of dirty river water and invaded by spiders. They all worked OK the next spring, given a jet of compressed/ canned air and some WD40 when necessary. Those doused in river water needed the silt brushing out with a toothbrush, but that's as complex as it got. Several of my motors look corroded beyond redemption if opened up, but they just keep on going, year after year.

I'd very much advise against taking motors off the wires and leaving bare wires exposed over winter. They will tarnish. Whack some silicone sealant around the sockets where wiring enters the motors and all should be well.
 
I always tinned the ends of all wires and used a little dab of LGB graphite paste (when new) in all terminals. Go with what is said above about WD40 and cleaning out the bugs in Springtime. LGB point motors do seem to be bombproof. Having said that I have now gone air-powered, the SSVR system available direct or from Back2bay6. Max.
 
I too have gone Air Power for Well over 10 years no with few problems. My initial Air Actuators were DelAir which had Steel Return Springs. These Rusted eventually and have been replaced my Stainless Ones. I think the others odd Actuators that I have are Easy Air, presumably with Stainless Springs as they are around 10 years outside now with no ill effects.

Buildings I also leave out, I do however put Ally Angle in all the bases by Screwing to BaseBoard and pinning Building with removable Pins. Brass is best for this and once they Tarnish are pretty well invisible. I make all my Kits with the Piko Glue Provided and Gunk all the inside Joints (that I can get to) with Silicone Sealant.

About the only thing that comes in is Stock, Wagon Cards and Box Diagrams. But these come in after every Operating Schedule anyway. Loco's always live in the House. The rest in my Sheds.
JonD
 
Mine live outside. The best advice I can give is to use them regularly. OK its a bit chilly, but get out and run some trains. Keeps everything clear and moving. Incidently, I rearly need to clean track much - the skates seem to do it if used regularly.
 
Stainz advice re unplugging Controller is very sound. Mine gets unplugged after every Operating Session, so does the Air Compressor and CCTV that is only used in the Shed. For further Safety the Mains Box is also always switched off. I once saw an Article in Garden Railway which showed what happened to a guys Line when Lightning Hit. Nasty trust me, Controller and Locomotives Fried like you would never believe.
Jond
 
I leave point motors out all year and like others here have not expereinced any problem. Its good to cover the screw heads with some form of grease/oil to protect them from rusting. No experience of uncouplers.
 
I've left LGB and Train Line point motors out in winter for several years now.

No problems, but as mentioned, they will need a spring time service with a clean and a squirt of WD40. I use copper slip on the point blade contacts.

I did eventually start putting an aircraft grade silicon potting compound in the holes for the screw heads, as I found later versions of point motors used an inferior connector block and the screws on these rusted after a year, but earlier ones do not seem to have this problem.

I removed the rusty terminal blocks and hard-wired a cable to the solder terminals, but I could just as easily replaced them with a more robust item.

my LGB point decoders and reverse loop modules have been kept in a building and off the ground. Again, these have been fine in the winter....
 
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