Modern O Gauge trains with computers

[pjdog350]

I live in Florida. In the summer it’s very hot. My trains live in the garage which is not air conditioned. Plus the attic has no insulation over the garage. Needless to say it gets real hot. The Lionel prewar and postwar don’t seem to care but I worry about the electronics in the modern  O gauge engines I have. To put my mind at ease I bring the MTH and Lionel modern engines in the house.

Am I the only person that worries about this. I’ve been in computers sense the late 1960’s and heat was always a problem. Even the desk tops computers didn’t like heat?

[CNJRR]

All mine are in the basement, cold in the winter and cold in the summer because of my Ac unit.
I don't have many with the electronics but if I did I would do like you do. For peace of mind.
If I was in Florida (which I would never live, I hate jungle weather) I would make sure my garage is well insulated with an AC unit.
For sure!
Last year I had my central AC and heater unit replaced.
Close to 10k but well worth the money, I am saving on electric and gas big time now.
Plus I had rebates and tax write offs that totaled close to 2k.
So it was 8k well spent.
My garage is the same as yours, last year (summer) I painted the inside in the 90* weather.
I bought a big fan and installed it on a TV wall mount, I can direct the air with the swivel mount to any part of the garage.
It comes off easy to use on the floor if needed.
Having air blow on me kept me sort of cool while painting, matter of fact I will take it off and use it outside while working on my pickup truck or car.
 

 

   

[Terry]

I bought a layout a few years ago that was all MTH and LTI locos with computers. It was on posts in the back yard, and the trains ran into a shed for storage. The shed was not air conditioned. The man went to NJ and the trains sat for a few years. Pack rats got in and made a mess, but the trains mostly still ran.

I also kept trains in outside steel sheds for years with no problems but for dead batteries.

[pjdog350]

That’s the biggest problem with MTH. If your not real careful you can fry a board if he battery’s dead. Done it twice with my MTH f3’s. Cost $120.00 both time and took a month! I stopped buying MTH because of that.

[Terry]

I was just out in my garage cleaning up. I have an old 2018 era Android phone hooked to an amplifier for music. It gave me a warning that is was no longer charging. Right now the temp. is 113 degrees in the shade. The garage is probably 120 or higher.

I know my 2020 era Android phone shuts itself off when I leave it in a car when the tempuratures outside hit 90 or above. The inside of the car is probably 150-180 degrees then. It's the batterie that are effected by the heat.

I have a plug in air conditioner for my garage.  I'm going to need to get it out.