WARNING re Thunderstorms & Digital equipment!!!

Would it also be advisable to disconnect from the track itself when thunderstorms are due in the local area? Just thinking of the rather large aerial made up of a large loop of brass laid around our back gardens. Although strikes over a small radius may not affect, nearer ones might. Have you ever seen slow motion of a lightening strike with the feeders that actually travel upwards from the ground to meet the downward strike?
Just an idea....
 
Completely disregard what I wrote. I've just realised that was what you actually meant.
We're in the process of moving and I'm just beyond tired and for some reason thought you meant to just unplug from the supply :think:
 
Being in 'thunderstorm alley' so to speak, I've learned to be careful ;-). The electronic black boxes are in the garage, out of the rain. They are connected to the mains first through a large surge protector (we do this on all the expensive kit in the house - computers, big TVs etc), and the house has a 'whole house' surge protector. We also have a whole house standby generator, which also has a surge protector. Then, after each session I disconnect the feed from the black boxes to the line that goes to the radio control transmitter/receivers. The power to the tracks goes from the control station to the tracks via two feeds that are capable of being unplugged. - so I unplug them!

Yes, 400+ feet of brass track does act as an aerial for lurking electricity, whether that's coming down (or up) a lightening bolt, spreading out through damp ground or just in the air. I found this out the hard way.

I always, when living in the UK, thought unplugging the TV was my father being paranoid, but living in the northern Gulf Coast I can see what damage even a small blast can do!
 
Martino said:
Being in 'thunderstorm alley' so to speak, I've learned to be careful ;-). The electronic black boxes are in the garage, out of the rain. They are connected to the mains first through a large surge protector (we do this on all the expensive kit in the house - computers, big TVs etc), and the house has a 'whole house' surge protector. We also have a whole house standby generator, which also has a surge protector. Then, after each session I disconnect the feed from the black boxes to the line that goes to the radio control transmitter/receivers. The power to the tracks goes from the control station to the tracks via two feeds that are capable of being unplugged. - so I unplug them!

Yes, 400+ feet of brass track does act as an aerial for lurking electricity, whether that's coming down (or up) a lightening bolt, spreading out through damp ground or just in the air. I found this out the hard way.

I always, when living in the UK, thought unplugging the TV was my father being paranoid, but living in the northern Gulf Coast I can see what damage even a small blast can do!
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Martino,
Was it you some years back in Garden Rail I think that Showed pics of trashed Garden Railway with burnt out Locomotives and Control System after a Lighting Strike?
JonD
 
Hello \everybody.

Yes hijacking has occurred, must Admit I was led a bit astray as well,, so I think we should leave it here perhaps

Just remembering my original post to watch out for the weather!
........................................

PS .................... I find the met office Rain Radar section to be an excellent means of checking if/when storms are due
 
dunnyrail said:
Martino,
Was it you some years back in Garden Rail I think that Showed pics of trashed Garden Railway with burnt out Locomotives and Control System after a Lighting Strike?
JonD
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No Jon, thankfully!
My problems were all within my Digitrax boxes. They worked before the storm, but not afterwards. It wasn't spectacular, just expensive!
 
Mike and Steve, this is the kind of thing we keep our eyes on....image.jpeg
 
Ralphmp said:
Interesting thread(s). Good & helpful advice about lightning & potential damage. A few years back lightning hit a tree about 1/4 mile away (just over 400 metres for the younger set...) and there was a "flash and a pop" in our lounge which was the sound of the BT master socket frying itself, even though all BT cables are underground apart from a foot or so on the outside wail of the house. Oddly, the phone still worked but our broadband was well and truly dead. So even though no direct hit on the house, TV aerial or Sky dish we suffered some collateral damage. On the plus side, this episode introduced me to a very helpful chap on eBay who sold me a new Master Socket, punchdown tool and some additional cable for a fraction of the charge BT wanted to (a) come and survey the damage and (b) fit a new master socket - in excess of £250 as I recall.

(Also, as someone who has only ever run DCC, I confess I don't get why anyone would want to use analog but each to his own - my reading of Rule 8 is that it applies to everything about a person's railway :):):))
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I had a similar incident some years ago. BT tried to charge me. I told them that the damage to THEIR equipment (the Master socket) was caused by transients coming down THEIR line, and if they didn't watch it I would claim from them for the damage to MY phone. I never heard any more.
 
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