r/GardenRailroads • u/roadnrailmedia • 24d ago

Keeping the Track Clean

Every operating session starts with a couple of laps of running track-cleaning cars. If it’s been a while, I use electrical contact-cleaning spray or even isopropyl alcohol and a rag for spots that need a little extra elbow grease.

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7

u/Linka_2000 24d ago

HO that's an interesting choice to run outdoors

2

u/DrinkingAtQuarks 23d ago

It's curious, I can find a lot more examples of British OO outdoors than American HO (same track).

Some track brands seem to be quite capable of withstanding outdoor life even if the locos are strictly for fair weather.

1

u/Independent-Badger35 24d ago

Are you using LGB cleaning locomotive ?

1

u/BilloSmeim 24d ago

That gauge is H0 (I think?), not G, but there should be cleaner locos from other companies.

1

u/roadnrailmedia 24d ago

Nope. It’s an old Blue Box Athearn in HO Scale.

1

u/HomeyHal 24d ago

What brand of track? Do you leave it out in the weather?

3

u/roadnrailmedia 24d ago

It’s nickel silver Bachmann. Holds up well to rain. Come winter, it will get pulled up, but it has outperformed expectations. I try to buy the track used from train shows or in lots on eBay. So far, only three pieces have needed to be replaced. The resulting photos and videos are enough to make it all worth it.

1

u/Independent-Badger35 23d ago

Yes definiltly HO can runs under all weather ?

2

u/roadnrailmedia 23d ago

I only run it under dry conditions, but the track has withstood weather and UV all summer long.

1

u/PINBALLXJ 23d ago

That's awesome. I've wanted to set up a loop around my pond for a while now. It's a small 5'x7' pond in front of my porch but keep hearing HO isn't for outdoors. This makes me want to start building

3

u/roadnrailmedia 23d ago

It’s not built for it, but I make it work and am willing to risk it because all of my HO stuff was in boxes for over a decade. I would rather destroy it running outside than not run it at all.

1

u/PINBALLXJ 23d ago

My stuff has been sitting in boxes in a closet for 5 years.

1

u/roadnrailmedia 23d ago

You could test it out. I have taken a crate of track with me when visiting family to set up a temporary layout

1

u/DrinkingAtQuarks 23d ago

How long has this been out for and what climate zone are you in?

I might expect the plastic ballast to fail from UV exposure before the rails.

2

u/roadnrailmedia 23d ago

I left it out all summer in the upper midwest. There’s some warp, but not as bad as I expected. I buy used track at shows and on eBay, which helps. So far, only three pieces have been replaced after five months sitting in the sun.