continuous running ?

[Flatrat]

When I know I'm having visitors over in a day or two I tend to tweak the rails and wheels etc. to hopefully ensure that my company will observe smooth running model trains. On occasion, when things are running just perfect and visitors were going to arrive tomorrow I have just gone to bed and let the trains run around the track for hours with good results. I used to work in the high end audio-video business and many of my customers both with tube or transistor amplifiers never turned their equipment off and just let the electronics 'idle' until they were ready to sit down an listen to their favorite LPs, movies, etc. and they claimed to enjoy better performance that way.

Do any other modelers let their trains run continually or for long periods of time?

[Kisatchie]

I've never had an operational layout, but if I did - no, I wouldn't let the trains run for long periods.


Hmm... on the other
hand, Kiz's computer is
on about 14 hours a day...

[Bob Horn]

I was running in a FVM ES44 after a decoder install which was louder than normal. I ran it for 11 hours at 60 mph. No problems but the truck noise did not go away. Bob.

[Flatrat]

My layout is basically two big loops with turnouts on both, but if I want to, I can let trains just run around the loops which is what I wanted. I was just curious if anyone let their trains run for long periods of time on their layouts.

I also model 1:20, 1:29 and know some fellows who also do that who let their large scale trains run for very long times. I was wondering if anyone in N scale also did that. [?]

S

[LV LOU]

I almost always have a train or two running when I'm in the train room,unless I'm doing trackwork,or scenery close to the track.I'd bet every one of my locomotives [hundreds of them..] has AT LEAST 15 hours runtime on them..I once accidentally left a just finished 3 unit set of C-628's I built running for three days,with over 50 cars,LOL!!

[Flatrat]

They used to say that if you left a light bulb just burn continually that, all things being equal that it could burn for years. The high fi guys I used to work with claimed the worst thing for stereo equipment was letting them heat up and cool down. They said, let your stereo equipment just run if it was on good spike protection. I wonder what the record for N scale trains might be. Has anyone just let their trains run...continuously?

S

[oakcreekco]

I haven't run much lately, but I've done numerous 12 to 24 hour runs, with a few full 48 hour stints too.

I can say that you'll find the "weakest link" in particular brands of loco's for sure. Some are rock steady, some will fall out of the lashup.

It's fun, I have too many locos, and they are meant to "run", well, most of them are. LOL

[peteski]

Flatrat,  here is plenty of reading material (by Victor Miranda) you should find interesting (or maybe even amusing).    http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=66662

[eja]

Anyone else remember the tread on the Atlas board (I believe it was Victor's) where he basically ran a loco to death ??

Edit:  - I guess someone else remembered

[Ike the BN Freak]

I wouldn't, at a club I was in before, a train got stuck on a turnout in a staging yard, well power was left on for hours, probably days after it all being put together before anyone noticed and the lead truck of the lead loco was a molten blob of plastic.  I'd be afraid of Murphy showing up and something happening while I was away and a train derailing or something and trains all over the floor or layout or melted due to getting stuck somewhere.

[C855B]

I wouldn't, at a club I was in before, a train got stuck on a turnout in a staging yard, well power was left on for hours, probably days after it all being put together before anyone noticed and the lead truck of the lead loco was a molten blob of plastic.  I'd be afraid of Murphy showing up and something happening while I was away and a train derailing or something and trains all over the floor or layout or melted due to getting stuck somewhere.

Bingo.

DCC would make this even more of an issue - 5 amps @ 15V is enough to melt wires, and, frankly, start fires. A derailment or mechanical failure that was just shy of triggering the overcurrent protection could create quite the mess.

As was pointed out in the Atlas thread, N scale models aren't exactly designed for long-term durability. Stuff wears out, stuff vibrates apart, and usually without much notice. But since you're talking being gone for hours, even just a bearing going dry - which usually gives some notice in the way of noise - can certainly be seized in the time away.

While I think you might be able to get away with it once or twice, the odds are pretty much against frequently repeating this.

Also, the comparison to audio electronics and a light bulb is completely bogus. We're talking moving parts under loose tolerances. Besides, the logic behind leaving hi-fi equipment on 24/7 amounts to an old wives' tale thumping "thermal stress" of power cycling... which completely ignores that the powered-up state and the heat it generates also stresses the components. The always-on light bulb lasting longer is pretty much an urban legend.

[SP-Wolf]

I too, will let a couple of trains orbit as I am workin on stuff. But- only when I am in the room. I do not dare test fate- when I leave the room- trains are stopped. Power is shut off.

My 2 pennies worth,
Wolf

[MichaelWinicki]

I too, will let a couple of trains orbit as I am workin on stuff. But- only when I am in the room. I do not dare test fate- when I leave the room- trains are stopped. Power is shut off.

My 2 pennies worth,
Wolf

I do the same thing.

I have a master power switch that controls power to the entire room.  When I leave that gets shut-off.

[cv_acr]

They used to say that if you left a light bulb just burn continually that, all things being equal that it could burn for years. The high fi guys I used to work with claimed the worst thing for stereo equipment was letting them heat up and cool down. They said, let your stereo equipment just run if it was on good spike protection. I wonder what the record for N scale trains might be. Has anyone just let their trains run...continuously?

S

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1243138/Still-glowing-strong-109-years-worlds-oldest-lightbulb.html


Of course a lightbulb also has no moving or mechanical parts.

[s40er]

The motor wipers will eventually fail.    As for continuous running,  I built a holiday train layout Last November,  and my co workers asked me to leave it in the office.   Trains have been seeing about 20 hours of run time a week.