Just curious here... I see so many beautiful, highly detailed layouts in the various model RR mags and got to wondering. How do they keep these clean? Especially the ones with lots of delicate handmade trees and shrubs, etc. Seems to me it would be difficult if not impossible to keep dust from clinging to everything.
Having a clean environment to start with helps a lot. Keep the air filters on the furnace cleaned. If you are in an unfinished basement, consider finishing it enough so that the walls aren't as exposed. Dirt will still come in, but keeping the air clean helps.
And don't smoke. Smoke is mostly li'l drops of oily goop that clings to everything and attracts dust.
Actually, since what dust there is will deposit pretty evenly all over the layout, you may not realise how dusty it is until you install a brand new undusted building or fresh trees. How do I know? Well, you see....
I think a lot depends on the location of the layout. One that is housed within a well maintained home isn't going to get particularly dirty. The small amount of dust that collects can be removed using an ordinary household vacuum cleaner, so long as you keep the nozzle 6"/150mm away from surfaces and then rescue the occassional figure etc from the dust bag. The track itself can be cleaned using a cloth wiper under a wagon propelled around the layout once a week.
For layouts in garages, workshops ... an overall cover is required. This is a BIG subject. I'd suggest a lift-off lightweight frame with perhaps a light plastic sheet covering.
snipped-for-privacy@pimin.wan.vpn (Paul Newhouse) wrote in news:12t3frhkvhhacd1 @corp.supernews.com:
*snip*
Obviously you need a containment area. In a hallway, put two doors one on each end, and implant the hazmat suits with some sort of RFID or even some sort of infrared scheme. Make it so the doors to the train room open automatically for someone wearing a suit, and shut quickly if someone who's not wearing a suit passes through.
You can skip the chemical shower afterwards, afterall this is just a model railroad. Other than that, full quarantine must be observed!!!
in article 45d220f0$0$97242$ snipped-for-privacy@authen.yellow.readfreenews.net, Puckdropper at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote on 2/13/07 12:34 PM:
Clearly you folks are not really into keeping the model railroad clean. One must install a IC manufacturing level clean room with proper filters and positive internal pressure prior to even installing the rail road. Then introduce NASA planetary exploration level clean robots and building materials and remotely control the robots which will build the layout.
Introduce you model loco's and rolling stock as well as structures after they have been de-contaminated and wrapped in gold foil. Not prototypical, I know, but we must keep things clean.
Then operate everything with remote biohazard level mechanical or gloved hands from outside. No biological entity must ever enter the room.
Obviously!! Now if we could just do that at the club!! They (the Fair maintainence group) painted the metal ceiling about 25 years ago, just before we (the club memebers) started building the layout. OOOppps, they forgot to clean and prime it. Now we have "black snow" every time the temp changes quickly ... damn'd annoying stuff. The building leaks and the area is a dust bowl in the summer.
Vacuum cleaners, dry clean brushes and nylon stockings (streched across the vacuum to catch things that have come unglued that you might not want to fish through the vacuum bag/container for).
A clean room doesn't seem all that bad of an idea!! *8^)
I've heard that the former Pacific Aircraft Maintenance hanger here in Portland, Oregon is vacant again. As it can hold a 747 and related crap, you could built a multi-level marvel in there. Bad news is that the fire supression foam cannons occasionally go off, blanketing the entire room in
There are various ways but the following item from Harbor Freight will help. 91393-4VGA Ion generators will also help. See 90953-0VGA from Harbor Freight.
Both of these are examples and I'm sure like items can be found other places.
I've been following this thread with some interest. It is possible that the exact opposite of creating a vaccuum might hold the solution to this problem. I believe a certain approach developed over half a century ago, can be succesfully extended to keep our railroads clean. I refer, of course, to the well-known article found on page 37 of the April, 1952 issue of MR entitled "How to Pressurize Your Basement". I would maintain, in addition to the other advantages therein presented, that a pressurized environment must be a clean environment!! After all, dust, once removed and with pressure applied, would be held in place and never make its way back to our respective tables! The instructions for pressurization are given in detail and while one must take inflation into account (the price of materials given was $3915.00), no cost should be too great in solving this debilitating problem. Oh, one possible extra consideration; before proceeding please note the date of the magazine. Thank you.
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.