Summer Heat

[KB5JCX]

I live in central Texas and have a non-airconditioned garage layout, where the garage temperatures can exceed 120 degrees F.  My cars and engines stored well in non-air-conditioned storage until my retirement as of late.  The engines still work VERY well, except for the K-4, which I am working on to get the drive trains to work.  (My old Spectrum GP-30 (38?) pulled 23 cars of over 4 ounces each up a 1 percent grade yesterday in a traction test with no faltering!)  I can only afford to continue DC at this time, as teacher retirement is not so good in Texas.  Should I shut-down in the summer? I could still run the layout in the cooler 5 am hours (two or three hours), or should I remove the locomotives inside?  Should I remove all the cars?  I do keep the engines lubed well but not over-lubed.  Any suggestions are deeply appreciated.

By the way, if my Spectrum K-4 cannot be fixed locally, is there any trade-in option(s) for these wonderful locos or is it now a "static" display case object and should I just consider it a bad investment?  Thank you.  Ross Litman

[Trainman203]

I ran a semi outdoor (covered but open sided space under a raised house) layout for several years in Mississippi 2 blocks from the Gulf.  Above 90 was common place.  A big floor fan made it comfortable enough.  I'd operate for 2 or 3 hours at a time , no prob.  Couldn't leave anything unattended on the layout though, especially  overnight because of critter visitation from raccoons and feral cats.  Had to put on and take off structures too so it wasn't much of a finished layout.  Did have ground cover and ballast though.  Keeping the track clean was the biggest problem.  As you can guess, the mild winters were really Model Railroad Season.

[Trainman203]

Instead of buying an engine you could get a small one room 5000 BTU AC unit.  I got one for my bedroom for about $120 and it's Antarctica in there, 

[Trainman203]

I don't believe anyone takes trade in locomotives, especially non operative ones.   In today's world, a replacement one from eBay is the way things are done, although you can swap shells if you really like the original.  You get a new mechanism with your original shell on it, a spare tender , and a spare mechanism that, while inoperable, is a source for other parts that may be needed.  Sometimes modelers use non operating engines as scenic elements at a roundhouse or shop.  There is always a use for everything in model railroading.