track

[blsky73]

why cant i find outdoor ho scale track,its not ok to run out side and why

[SteamGene]

I'd respond to your message if I could understand it. 
Gene

[Bojangle]

Sounds like 2 questions.
1.  Why can't I find outdoor HO track?    Answer: If you use the track indoors, it is called indoor track, used outdoors it is called outdoor track.

2.  Why shouldn't I run outside?   Answer:  I don't know, I was always told not to run inside the house. Go for it,  just be aware of the elements like sun, rain, and snow, perhaps some lurking critters and  neighbors who hate trains.

Bo

[Jonathan MacCormack]

Bo,

Really, HO does not lend itself to outside use. Size is first thought that comes to mind, weather (since most HO track is not suited to the outside environment/rain, snow, leaves, grass cuttings, tree limbs, hurricanes, rain, etc), critters, yard trash and maintainence in general, big footed children and neighbors who do not where they are walking. Vandals in general.

My vote is to stay inside.

Jonathan

[sour rails]

     I'd love to run a railroad outside, but all the elements do play a part in the results of doing so.
However, for the past two years, I've had an idea for a garden railway in HO scale.  My idea probably costs thousands of dollars, which is why I haven't started it yet especially since I am only twenty.

Here's my idea:
1.)  Get a large table or maybe even a small car trailer.
2.)  Build a wall around it, however high you want the sides to be.
3.)  Fill it up with dirt.  Add the grass and plants, Lay the track (considering that it's HO scale, I'd use Bachmann's E-Z track, but if you use a track without a manufactured roadbed you might want to make your own out of something, maybe thin pieces of wood).
4.)  An added touch of realism would be to have a few trails of bare ground, indicating where a railroad had been at one time.

     Of course, you can come up with some additional ideas of your own.
Is anyone interested in this idea?

[bevernie]

C'mon, Gene! Remember, be nice! Everyone has not had the benefits of college, like us, but this hobby does not demand it! In fact, it is probably more enjoyable to those not handicapped with "book knowledge" !!
That being said, with no slight or degredation meant to the creator of this thread, I am only asking that Gene should remember that all are not as gifted as he, and we should all keep that in remembrance as we consider our responses to these threads!      

[Bojangle]

bevernie:
Now I understand my problem also.  My analytical mind just can't accept the simplicity of trains.   Let's see, you put the train on the track and turn the little dial.
OOps, forgot to plug it in  lol 

At times I think I was better suited to R/C planes. 
Bo

[Atlantic Central]

bevernie,

College? We are talking about skills one should learn by the 6th or 7th grade. Reading and writing the language is something you are supposed to know before you go to college. I never went to college, how did I learn to punctuate, capitalize, spell, use reasonable good grammer, etc?

I never went to college (well I did take a few individual classes, but never a degree) and I design buildings for a living, have designed control systems for complex machines, have built houses and automobiles from the ground up, wired skyscrapers, and run a successful business.

Gene is right to expect minimum levels of correct communication skills. The dumbing down of or culture is disgusting. Thank you Gene for speaking up and expecting better.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Bevernie,
In all honesty, I could not understand the post. 
While I don't totally agree with Sheldon, most of what he says is correct.  I look over my posts before hitting the send button and I think everybody else should, too.  No provider these days that I know of charges for the minute like AOL used to.
Everybody is going to miss a mistake from time to time.  But the first post makes little or no sense. 
One of the skills taught by model railroading is correcting mistakes.  Let's not start by posing a question so that the readers don't understand it.  Were you around for the "My track wears out after six months!" fiasco?
Gene

[cmgn9712]

Don't really want to get involved, but the reason HO is no good outside is the track is not UV stabilized and deterioates very rapidly in the sun. The large scale stuff is all UV stabilized.

[Beatle (TrainBrain)]

You shouldn't run them outside because squrils don't know if they should run or ride them like a 1-1/2" gauge.

I'd say because if it rains, it cloud damage the locos/cars and the track. Plus, HO is small, so they're probably (if not, totally) able to be destroyed by a small, windy thunderstorm.

Outdoor HO would be cool, but until people figure something out, USE A GREEN HOUSE! (I'm going to try that ).

[sour rails]

Outdoor HO would be cool, but until people figure something out, USE A GREEN HOUSE!
(I'm going to try that ).

That was one thing I failed to comment on in my first post on this stream.
But also I failed to give the reason why to use a large table or small car trailer for the garden railway.  This would make it very portable.  If it rains, you could take it into the garage, or with the car trailer you could travel to different shows and show it off (but of course, cover it with a tarp).


As to sheldon's comment, I went to a Christian school and I learned all that proper grammatical structure in the third grade.