will they be safe in a shed for storage ? ??? im out in the country so im not worried them getting stolen and im home most the time anyway im worried about them being in the house because the smoke detectors keep going and you can smell something warm ever few days i don't want to lose what little bit i got and save for months to get im sure you would hate to lose your train collection to
I'd be more worried about my life than my trains in that situation.
UP4014
Maybe you should stay in the shed too!
Tim
The more important questions are: a) why are the smoke detectors sounding? b) what is it that is getting "warm"? and c) why is said thing, getting warm in the 1st place?
Matt
I agree with the last three responses.
Pops is dead on (no pun intended).
grsman is right, I would not stay in the house till I knew it was safe.
jbrock is wondering? a) have you checked the batteries in the alarm, b)whatever is getting warm get it checked or replaced.
Your safety is more important than the trains.
Jerry
ok i know life more important then train and im not only live in the house theirs my parents my little brother witch just gradated form high school and my little sister that still in high school where living in a mobile home that was built in 2011 my parents bought new at the end of 2011 after 3 trees fall on our old house my parents are still paying for the mortgage on mobile home where kinda have bad luck lately
4014-
Like everyone else, my overriding concern is personal safety, not where you have your trains. However, the others have covered that issue well so I'll go on to your original question.
I wouldn't keep trains in a shed, or at least not in what I think of a shed. To me, a shed is a small, possibly somewhat run-down outbuilding lacking security, insulation, HVAC, protection from vermin and plumbing, but possibly having an electric light hanging in the middle and perhaps an outlet for a tool. I guess that's my early-childhood, country kid vision of a shed. But I know, being an urban or suburban person for most of my life, that shed can also mean a pretty neat, nicely designed and built, and well-maintained possibly prefab building in the back yard. But you know what? I don't think I'd keep trains there either if I had a reasonable alternative. My reasons are that regardless of the quality of a structure, an unoccupied building is always a magnet for things like mice, squirrels and raccoons, any of which will reek havoc on model railroad gear. Wires and details get chewed, droppings go everywhere and things can be seriously damaged in a very short time. Throw in the possibility of theft or vandalism and the certainty of the destructive effects of temperature extremes, and you have an unsuitable place for storage of anything more than yard tools and bicycles. If its roof leaks, a shed isn't even appropriate for shovels and lawn mowers. (Unless, of course, the alternative is leaving things in the open or tucked under a bed.
-- D
You're kidding right?
Your smoke detectors are going off?
There's this "warm" feeling, or do you mean the smell of hot electrics?
And you're concerned about your toy train collection?
Man, do you need a serious correction to your priorities list.
Cheers
Roger T.
ok im not going to run trains in a shed is shed a good place for safe keeping until room to set up a layout again
i think you're missing what everybody is trying to tell you. if something isn't done about the smoke alarm and burning smell, it won't matter where your trains are. the signs are all there for a house fire, and ignoring them is only going to lead to disaster. if nobody will fix the problem then you nee to be out of there until the problem is fixed. peroid,,,,, end of story.
I know that in Canada the parents would be smart enough to handle this.
Things must be different in America.
Sid
my parents had it checked out but nothing found and the smoke detectors go off ever time my parents are cooking or when it's hot outside and the warm smell is coming form one room my parents room
I am sure you are right Sid, bc afterall, there certainly aren't any dimwitted parents in Canada ::)
Ok, smoke detectors going off from cooking smoke, I can understand. UP, is there an exhaust fan above the stove? If so, have it run, on high, when cooking, if this has not been thought of already. The other things I would not be letting go, until I found out the reason(s) why.
Doc, somehow, I think given the circumstances described, that the shed, you describe as pretty neat, nicely designed and built, and well-maintained possibly prefab building is not the kind UP has available to him.
So, the smell happens when the stove is being used, but the smell is in your parents' bedroom?
Do you have an electric stove? Is the breaker box in your parents' bedroom?
Like with a model railroad, an overload in one place can cause a problem in another.
I would suspect the stove is drawing more current than the house is able to supply. I would get a different electrician in to check out the stove and wiring.
If you do not have an electric stove, check for something else that runs at the same time the stove is being used, but not usually at other times (an exhaust fan, maybe)?
Les
no it not the stove that was checked last month by a repairman and no the breaker box is in the hall way yes there a exhaust fan a above the stove and its run ever time the stove used there is a chest freezer in my parents room that could be it to much for the wiring to handle
we might be move soon now to a 4 bed room house with basement on farm now thinking about new layout ideas ;D
Matt, I am wondering if this same problem, is the reason why you have burned out several power packs in the past ??
it might be i never burned out power packs before until we move in to this mobile home i still have to get a power pack
Quote from: WoundedBear on June 22, 2014, 09:56:06 PM
I know that in Canada the parents would be smart enough to handle this.
Things must be different in America.
Sid
Wow, hate Americans do we? I feel hurt. :'(
Matt,
Hope everything works out for you in the new place. I know you will enjoy the basement for your trains.
Is it possible the freezer is old and is starting to go out? I would move it outside for now till you move to be on the safe side. Mobilehomes can go up in smoke rather quickly.
Jerry
my parents bought the freezer new when i was 9 years old im 22 now so it possible its going out now
Agree with Jerry's point about the danger of fire in a mobile home.
I would say, at the least, the freezer is a power hog.
never mind about possible fire a tornado that touch down a mile form us it did no damage tho it was in a field that 4 bed room house with basement seems a lot safer for life and for model trains
Quote from: union pacific 4014 on June 23, 2014, 06:24:15 PM
my parents bought the freezer new when i was 9 years old im 22 now so it possible its going out now /Quote
4014-
Yes, it's possible. But refrigerators and freezers have an expected economic and useful life averaging 14 years. That means they can be expected to operate safely, correctly AND at an economically efficient level for that time. It does not, however, mean that the equipment will break down or be dangerous after 14 years. It's just that the appliances might cost more to operate or repair than they're worth. So ... I don't think the freezer is a automatically suspect.
On the other hand, freezers do use quite a bit of electricity, especially large ones. They should be plugged into a 20 amp circuit, not the typical 15 amp circuit found for lighting, clocks, radios and other small appliances. Please note that you can't upgrade a 15 amp circuit by replacing the fuse or circuit breaker with a 20 amp device; indeed, that is exceedingly dangerous because the 14 gauge wire used for 15 amp service is too small to handle a 20 amp load.
You and your family need to find someone who knows about home safety before some or all of you are hurt. I suggest that you call the local power company to see if they offer a home inspection service or possibly a home energy audit which would likely identify any unsafe conditions. In the mean time, don't put your trains into your shed unless it is a well-built and well-maintained structure.
Whatever you do, don't ignore the safety of your home. Although it's possible that the alerts reflect poor ventilation or an overly sensitive smoke alarm, you MUST operate on the assumption that there is a danger until you have conclusive evidence that the home is safe.
-- D
Matt, agree w/your point about tornadoes. No basement='s bad news in a tornado. In Doc's state of MN, trailer parts of a certain number, are required to have a tornado shelter built for the residents of the park. These sometimes serve the dual purpose of a community center.
Also agree with Doc's safety talk, he brings up a good point about having a qualified inspector. This should also be applied prior to the purchase of any other home(s), a thorough, what is usually called, "home inspection" which includes the home's electrical system.
Re: storing trains: I think if you were able to put your train stuff in sealed Rubbermaid or similar type containers with secured lids, you could store your stuff somewhere safely and w/o rodent intrusion, while all this gets straightened out.
Good luck.