Guys,
I need to find out the designed max storage temperatures recommended for Bachmann LS Locos.
Background: I live in South Australia where the summer maximums are often in the mid 40s celsius (110-115 F). In the past I've kept my locos in the house on such days, where the air con controlled temperature doesn't exceed 35 C (95 F). However, I've just finished fitting out my shed to take the fleet with a direct connection to the running tracks (yea, no more carting locos to and fro); but the temperature in the shed can get close to 50 C (>120 F) and I'm now getting concerned I might get damage or distortion if I leave the locos out there. BTW, the track temperature (LGB) can get up to nearly 70 C (150 F) so I don't run on such days!
Anybody (Yardmaster maybe?) got any ideas?
Steve
This is a difficult question.
We have a house in the Phoenix area of Arizona. In the summer the temperature can reach around 115F. We are not there in the summer and my trains are stored in the garage, where there is no heating or cooling. I have no idea as to the maximum temperature reached in the garage, but I have not detected any problems. I take most of my frequently used engines in to the house where the temperature is set to 85 F.
I have a mixture of Bachmann, LGB, and USAT cars. The engines are LGB and AristoCraft.
If you are building a shed, I'd recommend a light colored roof and lots of vents near the floor and roof. This should help move the hot air up and out, a little.
Chuck
Steve,
I too had an unheated outside shed to avoid the hassle moving my stuff from the house to the layout. Temps got up to 115 F inside but not for days on end. The temps in winter got down to as low as -3 F. In the 19 years I used it I never had a problem with my locos or cars.
My son in Colorado did have a problem with some of his buildings warping in areas of his layout where the sun was concentrated.
One of my friends in Las Vegas reported problems with warping of some rolling stock and buildings, and now puts everything inside during the heat of summer.
Bill
Bill, Chuck,
Thanks, sounds like a bit of suck it and see, so what I might do is leave a few of the more derelict bits of rolling stock in there, bring the rest inside, and evaluate the results.
I do have a recording thermometer in there. If anything shows up I'll post.
Steve
This is why I said that it is a difficult question.
Different manufacturers use different plastics. Some may change their plastics over time. I have heard that when LGB production went from Germany to China there was a change in plastic. Now that it is made in Hungary, who knows, not me.
I have two Accucraft flat cars that if run in the sun warped. Fortunately, upon cooling the the shape returned. I now run it with loads to shade the deck.
Things, left out or run in the sun seem, in my experience, more susceptible to problems, than rolling stock in storage. But very high storage temperatures, are beyond my experience. High temperatures seem OK.
If it gets to hot, the lubricants in engines could be degraded.
Chuck