I suppose it's good that it happened this early on, since I now know what to do if it happens again in the future when I'm further on in my layout progress. It was easier to fix than I initially thought.
AARGH! Humidity. I live in the south and I know the issue well. You sorely need two portable style dehumidifiers with 1 or 2 HVAC effluent pumps. Two units is crucial because most portables will die in 3-5 years. You nned overlapping protection (but you know that now) ☹️ The ops rolling stock is easier. Bowser makes plenty of PRR rolling stock kits. Decent opened but not assembled kits are all over eBay for $20 including shipping. Easy to slap together, and perfectly good for ops. Load up!
Yeah the dehumidifier I had my family has had for 40 years so it definitely gave everything it had and then some. Hopefully I can find another one that lasts even half as long. Up here in the northeast the humidity isn't too bad besides July and August, but of course that's when I decided to lay the track. I suppose it's a nice problem to have-- needing lots of freight cars. Same with engines. Luckily if I remember correctly Bowser has another dozen of uniquely numbered H21a hoppers coming this spring and some boxcars too, which will help me put a dent in my freight car buying needs. I have a few of the kits, they're really good. In fact I think they run better than some of the RTR by other companies.
@@pennsylvaniamodelrailroad I'm a transplant from SE PA with time on Longuyland and in Ohio before wondering south. Your weather assessment is just like I remember it. :) Not even new $500+ built-in whole house HVAC vented system humidifiers or dehumidifiers last over 7-10 years these days. The less expensive but more versatile (and only choice if you don't have vented HVAC) are ~$250 for about 600-900 sf areas, and might last 5 years. I had an basic portable electric oil radiator heater and two portable dehumidifiers raised over one basic $40 vertical pump for several years. Worked great at 40-45% humidity. The oil rather than electric resistance heater kept things warm w/o drying everything out - the other extreme. When one portable broke down last year, I was in the midst of walling in my PRR layout area and workshop room. With the rooms now cut off, I added a $1500 Mr. Cool 12k self installation heat pump, giving me heat, air conditioning or straight dehumidification on demand. I can turn it on before leaving work and it's perfect by the time I get there. NOT CHEAP, not easy. But a world of difference. PS - Please don't wait on new dehumidification. If initially invisible mold gets into the Masonite, wood or models, which it will, your whole layout and all your models are trash. Now that suck!
Bummer the wood shrunk, and messed up the track
I suppose it's good that it happened this early on, since I now know what to do if it happens again in the future when I'm further on in my layout progress. It was easier to fix than I initially thought.
AARGH! Humidity. I live in the south and I know the issue well. You sorely need two portable style dehumidifiers with 1 or 2 HVAC effluent pumps. Two units is crucial because most portables will die in 3-5 years. You nned overlapping protection (but you know that now) ☹️
The ops rolling stock is easier. Bowser makes plenty of PRR rolling stock kits. Decent opened but not assembled kits are all over eBay for $20 including shipping. Easy to slap together, and perfectly good for ops. Load up!
Yeah the dehumidifier I had my family has had for 40 years so it definitely gave everything it had and then some. Hopefully I can find another one that lasts even half as long. Up here in the northeast the humidity isn't too bad besides July and August, but of course that's when I decided to lay the track.
I suppose it's a nice problem to have-- needing lots of freight cars. Same with engines. Luckily if I remember correctly Bowser has another dozen of uniquely numbered H21a hoppers coming this spring and some boxcars too, which will help me put a dent in my freight car buying needs. I have a few of the kits, they're really good. In fact I think they run better than some of the RTR by other companies.
@@pennsylvaniamodelrailroad I'm a transplant from SE PA with time on Longuyland and in Ohio before wondering south. Your weather assessment is just like I remember it. :)
Not even new $500+ built-in whole house HVAC vented system humidifiers or dehumidifiers last over 7-10 years these days. The less expensive but more versatile (and only choice if you don't have vented HVAC) are ~$250 for about 600-900 sf areas, and might last 5 years.
I had an basic portable electric oil radiator heater and two portable dehumidifiers raised over one basic $40 vertical pump for several years. Worked great at 40-45% humidity. The oil rather than electric resistance heater kept things warm w/o drying everything out - the other extreme.
When one portable broke down last year, I was in the midst of walling in my PRR layout area and workshop room. With the rooms now cut off, I added a $1500 Mr. Cool 12k self installation heat pump, giving me heat, air conditioning or straight dehumidification on demand. I can turn it on before leaving work and it's perfect by the time I get there. NOT CHEAP, not easy. But a world of difference.
PS - Please don't wait on new dehumidification. If initially invisible mold gets into the Masonite, wood or models, which it will, your whole layout and all your models are trash. Now that suck!
10:00 Haha, I was right. Counted 18 in your last vid.
Yeap, they are beauties.