Temp ranges for our trains and electronics

Electronics are good to 150°-180° and most plastics involved there are also very heat tolerate.  

Shells, etc, those plastics are not.

Temp on metal isn't a big a deal as humidity control. Fast temperature change however is. Cool metal in hot air attracts moisture to the surface.... so use a coaster and skip the ice  (a constant temp is ideal)

Truthfully, if you can be in the climate, it's pretty likely that the trains will do just fine.  Wide temperature swings and high humidity are one issue that can cause problems, but temperature along is not a significant factor.

Cold isn't usually a killer. Plastic may be more brittle at low temp. Most electronics like it cold vs hot... as long as you keep that fast temp. change in mind. Wet boards don't work well. (the temp. bit applies to anything cold that is in warm air.)

As a note, wet electronics can be dried. If no power was present, 99.9% will still work once dried FULLY. Sometimes a capacitor holds power enough to damage something, but it's rare. I've washed mother boards in dishwashers.

Perhaps a little known fact.  When thru-hole assembly was common, many makers used acid flux for the better soldering characteristics through the wave soldering machine.  Right out the other end, they went through a very complete water bath and then a drying oven.  I visited several board manufacturers that were making my controller boards when I was building equipment for the NYSE and member firms, I saw the process first hand. 

I have taken a number of laptops apart that got inundated with either coffee or soft drinks and washed all the boards and even the keyboard in hot water.  Other than one failure that I couldn't really explain, all worked perfectly after the clean-up and reassembly.

@Chessie posted:

I am having a garage built with a loft above where I hope to re-build the layout of my dreams (I had the layout of my dreams back in 2004, but alas, we moved).  My original layout was in a climate controlled area, with a temperature of between 68 and 78 degrees F.   My future location above my future garage will be insulated, but I am not sure I can justify a full heat-pump set-up for HVAC.  If I put a window A/C unit in this loft location, would this be enough?  Do I need to worry about extreme cold as much as I need to worry about extreme heat?

My 2 cents, having run various low/mid-tier o-gauge items (MTH RailKing/Imperial, R2R/Lionchief+ Lionel, Williams) -- all less than 10 years old, out-of-box new, and serviced before/during their runs -- outdoors, uninsulated (but mostly shaded), for the last 5 years in all 4 seasons:

- You should be fine with a window A/C unit.

- As mentioned elsewhere, moisture is your true enemy. A window A/C unit should serve you well in this regard.

- No/minimum run issues when the ambient temperature in between (approx.) 30-85 degrees F.

- No storage issues whatsoever at any temperature.

- Below 30 degrees, the locos needs a few minutes to warm-up; then, run 'em slow for a few laps; thereafter, crank it up. Below 20 degrees, run at your own risk (see below).

- Above 85 degrees, MTH units seems to do fine. The Lionel and Williams locos get very hot to the touch after about 30 minutes of continuous use at any speed. The Williams engines will eventually quit (but run again after cool down); the Lionel Lionchief+ engines will burn themselves out if you let them. Don't let them.

- Probably not an issue for you but radiation (direct sunlight) is the guaranteed killer. I've melted a few traction tires when I've accidentally left some FastTrack in direct sunlight and subsequently run a train before giving the rails enough time to cool. I haven't baked any loco to death (yet) but chalk that up to luck, not skill.

- Unsurprisingly, ready-to-run/low-tier gear perform worse in the than their mid-tier counterparts.

In my graveyard so far (over 5 years): 2 (!) R2R Polar Express locomotives (cold); 1 Lionel 0-6-0 conventional docksider (cold); 1 Lionchief+ A4 (heat); and 1 Lionchief+ Hudson (heat).

Though everything I've murdered has been Lionel, their gear represents the VAST majority of runtime; in other words, I would not say it suggests any Lionel-specific quality issues. (Not to mention that their low-tier engines are quite inexpensive, relatively, and that I run my equipment hard. I ain't tryin' to kill 'em but ain't cryin' for my momma when I do.)

- The Other Guy

Add a PTAC thru the wall heat pump. They come with a case the unit slides into. Just plug in and set the digital controls. Used in hotels, hospitals, etc. Major brands like GE or Friedrich are reasonably priced and come in several BTU capacities.

I have two of these PTAC units, one in our sunroom (15,000 BTU) and another in our garage apartment (15,000 BTU) and they are very reliable. They are used in many commercial applications for this reason.

Let's start with how many square feet of space are we talking about and what is your anticipated temperature range?

Chessie

I built a two car garage with full second story train/vintage stereo/man cave above.  I went with a central ac with electric heat due the great deal from Obamas energy bill but had the wall framed and wired for under the windows motel air cond/heat units (two just in case).  I decided they were quieter than window air cond/heaters.  I think mounting either under the windows is better than using up your windows.

I needed ac here in south Louisiana and as it was 90 up there yesterday afternoon.  I usually keep it in the low to mid 80s in summer all time but go to 78 when I am there.  It takes a long time to go from 90s to 78.  I usually do not need heat except for a few in the winter for below freezing.  Like others said cold is not a problem with trains and heat will not be either if you insulate.  You did not say where you live.

Charles

A 15,000 BTU PTAC unit will easily heat and cool 600 square feet of space. They are also available in 9000 and 12,000 BTU units for smaller areas.

Be comfortable in your train loft, as well as protecting your equipment!

I liked the split systems best. Mitsubishi especially. Never had to fix a single one. A few holes for lines, wall mount, remote compressor. Only fan whoosh ànd an occasional cycling gurgle.

You can also look into a {mini split system} think this would be the best way to go.

The PTAC units are fairly quiet and are self contained. The biggest part of the unit, including the fan and compressor are in the external portion of the case. Probably cheaper than a split system and its installation. My contractor simply left an opening for the case to be mounted. Easy-peasey! Even a 15,000 BTU PTAC can be had for under $900. Popular reliable brands are Amana, GE, and Friedrich.

We have had a Mitsubishi unit for three years with nothing but good experience. We are in SE Virginia. Recommend that you check it out; a dream layout requires it.

Good luck.

I would say if you are comfortable,  then the trains will be fine.   If the temperature is above 77 degrees how much time would you spend there?

I have both HVAC and a Hunter ceiling fan to keep me comfortable in my train room.

I’m in Southern California, south facing insulated garage door, fully installed walls and peaked ceiling.  Went with a mini-split @2012 and it still works perfectly.  I keep my house at 68 degrees and my garage mini-split can also get there. 
it has a built in heating element as well, cuz the wife is out there on occasion.  I highly recommend them.  They’re also super efficient and can be self installed.  Tons of YouTube videos of do it yourselfers.  I paid, do to physical limitations.  Money well spent!

Best of luck,