The media is full of “heat records broken again”. Temperatures can also rise considerably in the house. Not every model railway enthusiast has his model railway in a cooled – cellar – space. Are those high temperatures a danger for your N scale model trains? We put the question to the expert Martin Domburg of Domburg Train Support .
“The engines of the locomotives are not affected by the hot weather”, says Martin, “they just heat up a bit earlier than when it’s cold”. He then explains that the operating temperature of a motor can quickly be around 60 degrees Celsius. “It is therefore completely pointless to store them when it is warm,” he concluded.
The operating temperature of a N scale motor is quickly around 60 degrees Celsius
Martin also has some advice for that storage: “If possible, leave them on the track. Taking them off is worse for the locomotive”. A shadow station can offer a good solution for this. Be alert for (indirect) sunlight on your model trains and layout. These can discolour due to the UV radiation.
However, the warm weather does have some influence on the layout. Rails expand when heated. And at high room temperatures this can be such that track spatter is possible. Also , insulations can lose their alignment as a result . This can result in various malfunctions and electrical problems. The Belgian model railroader (H0) HaSaKo posted this message on Instagram.
Read more below on how to keep locomotives in good condition.
Keeping locomotives in good condition
To keep locomotives in good condition, it is important that they run. “Preferably weekly, 10 minutes,” advises Martin. After 10 minutes, most locomotives are also at operating temperature and functioning optimally.
In addition, modern locomotives require hardly any maintenance. An engine overhaul once a year, as was necessary with older models, is no longer necessary. Ultimately, it is mainly the amount of dust and other dirt on the track that determines the real lifespan of the rolling stock. Also read ” clean the layout: drive circles with the vacuum cleaner “.
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