Model Railroading > Temporary Storage of Model Trains

Most of my HO collection is in a temperature controlled storage unit. However I have a fair amount of cars at my house in plastic storage containers. I need to clean out my storage unit to make room for the containers at my house. I plan to temporarily store them in my garage. A couple of weeks, maybe a month. Since they will be stored indoors and not in direct sunlight, I am thinking they will be OK. My garage stays drys and the temperatures shouldn't get above 90.

Question, At what temperatures do model trains start to warp or melt. I know from experience that if left in direct sunlight or if the temperature is too hot model trains will warp. Many years ago I left a GN Roundhouse caboose in my car during a hot Kansas summer day. The Kansas summer won!

Just curious if anyone knows or has experience. Just to be clear they will not stay in the garage very long and none of my engines or cabooses will be stored there. I am working on a project in my house and need to clear space.

Thanks - Mark

Casselton
Houston, TX

I would think that the car melt problem would be much like leaving someone in a car without AC, will get well above 100 on a normal sunny day. That's not the case in most normal homes or garages as its usually about outside temp at the most. Have stored models of all types of plastic in uninsulated storage with no problems either hot or cold. Older brass engines have poor quality nylon or plastic gears which split when too cold but never have seen it on plastic. One exception is Athearn axle gears which are used on other brands also Proto 2000, older I think they split because of? Fill that one in as replacements don't.
FYI, I lived for years in eastern Washington state where it was normal to see 100 plus most summers never measured how hot my car was inside but know that bare metal would make a mark on your skin.

I have left my models in the garage for years and there is no problem. My garage can range in temperature from about 40 to 100 degrees F. The one thing to note is to keep them in a box or container to keep them clean. Dirt is more of a problem than heat. I do keep my best models in the house but that's more because I have some of them on display.
As you pointed out direct sunlight is a different story. When I was a kid I had a Athearn heavyweight train on display in my bedroom window. It got direct afternoon sun. I had one car melt so bad that it looked like it had been in a train wreck - completly deformed and bent in the middle. The other cars suffered more minor damage but were still write offs. So I would highly recommend never leaving models in direct sunlight in a car or as it turns out on a windowsill.

I've had to store my models for long periods of time and have always tried to keep them in a cool dry environment. I stayed at my sisters during a transition period and for couple years stored boxes of trains there. At one point she put my model trains in the garage but I moved them in short order into a closet in her finished basement where they would remain in a temperature controlled environment. I've spent a lot of money on some of those trains and didn't want to take a chance that temps approaching or exceeding 100 degree would potentially warp or damage anything. As always, YMMV, but I tend to be risk averse and prefer to err on the side of caution.

Cheers, Jim Fitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/17 10:03 by SPDRGWfan.

We've stored stuff in storage units and garages with no problems. You have to figure this stuff is designed to be shipped in containers and truck trailers.

Jim

I am currently storing trains and other household goods in a 40ft shipping container. Its been going on 2 1/2 years now. In June, I went inside and pulled out some stuff to check it.

Household goods, no issues.

Model trains, no major issues.... Only thing I noticed was that the modern RTR stuff, the superglue they used to attach metal parts to plastic had come apart.

As they say, you pays your money and you take your chances. Storing things in an environment that can have temperature extremes, well, it's your stuff. I'd rather not - too much money into that stuff.

Cheers, Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/17 13:06 by SPDRGWfan.

tq-07fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We've stored stuff in storage units and garages
> with no problems. You have to figure this stuff is
> designed to be shipped in containers and truck
> trailers.
>
> Jim

Many of the earlier brass engines nylon gears were made with poor quality material and would crack in cold weather this was quite common. Once they figured out over seas what to do about it the problem went away.