7 Secrets to a Clean Train Room

Does your model train room look like a pig sty? In this video, I offer you seven secrets for transforming it into a room that is clean and clutter-free, a much more pleasant place in which to run your model trains.

[DadCooks]

Roy, thanks for pointing out this video on your Facebook page. It's a worthy and helpful video.

[dave]

Great show, Thanks for sharing and ideals.

[JoeyBPhotography]

Great video Roy, good suggestions for sure. I hope you don't lose the termite battle, but if you need to rebuild anything I hope you can find suitable materials in your area. I'd say metal brackets with extruded foam boards, but as you said that can't be found in Panama. Thanks for sharing

[johne]

Roy...thanks for your tips and ideas! Thanks! As always you sure do have good ideas! Thanks!

[EmpireBeltRR]

Nice work addressing one of my least favorite activities. I bought a vacuum cleaner adapter from MicroMark many moons ago that was made for vacuuming layouts. The smaller hose and different nozzles are small enough not to suck up details like cars and people. There is a brush attachment that is perfect for structures and rolling stock. Good luck keeping the termites at bay!

[ResidentOfTheAbyss]

Hi Roy
I would also suggest making sure you, yourself and anyone else is tidied up before entering like no pet hair, clean shoes, no materials on clothing, hats I.e. dirt, sawdust, vegetation from being outside, and other debris, use a lint roller, vacuum, etc.
Also avoid loose fiber materials like Kleenex, or some types of cloth.
Good luck on your battle with those horrible termites, and hopefully it will all work out!

[jamesyoung]

great tips there Roy !!!! yes you have seen my mess and i think i have all of what you said not to do! still trying to get it all organized but some one keeps buying more stuff. I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS stuff just keeps on piling up in my room. dust is a mess i do have a furnace but not ducts lead into my room so i keep the door closed as much as possible to keep the dust down and also to keep rileyzilla out from destroying my layout. i mean the cat of course. all joking aside great tips for everyone to abide by for sure. thanks Roy for another fun video.
Jim

[edg]

Great video! And, timely. I'm just starting a major overhaul and organization project of what I hope can be a train room one day. And, . when I get that done, I will need to keep it clean.

[deandanielson]

Good morning, Roy. A video that is practical, necessary and perhaps not talked about as much as it should be. Thanks for the suggestions, particularly a systematic process and a consistent one for cleaning. As tend, as many do, to do spot cleaning on what I see rather than going over everything in a timely way. I have a probable of cobwebs and you're the first person that I can recall who has mentioned this nemesis. Wow, I had not thought of the tremendous problem of termites. When I lived on post at Fort Rucker, Alabama, I too had to deal with them (and ants) constantly. Now, with the northern COLD (we had our first snow last night) I can look forward to other issues. I enjoyed seeing different angles on your layout -- such as the windows and the light that comes into the room. Thanks, as always, Roy for a very interest and useful video. - Dean from Minnesota

[craiglordable]

I've been using the dust dabber product for many different things. It works so great that I use it for other things i.e., cleaning keyboards, phones, along with RR stuff. I usually put and old sock on the end of my vac when I use it so that any thing loose (vehicles-people) doesn't accidently go missing. That works fine for bigger dusting jobs. Thanks for all the good info you provide.

[clivecobbold]

Hi Roy another great video mate you are so right mate clive 👍👍👍😀😀😀

[cdracing]

Im new, with no valuable info to offer....just luv the hobby. Im Eric 55 yo from Marietta Ohio off the Balt. Ohio RR.

[Iver-prwo]

Great vid Roy, always look forward to your new vids.
Wow, really stinks about the termites, glad I live in WI, sure we have them, but not a big problem like you have there.

[tombarnes]

I think when the layout room is being built that finishing off the ceilings, filling cracks and putting in carpeting would help. I know that in our haste to get benchwork built that this step saves grief in the long-term.

[robtman]

Hi Roy, That was a topic that everyone has to deal with, small or large we all fight that battle on keeping things neat and tidy. Dust is always there, so you covered that well. Plastic storage containers are a good way to store most things. I agree that all animals need to remain out of the train room, no matter how cute they are. I sure hope you can keep one step ahead of those termites. You must really have to cover your lower staging yards to prevent them from getting coated when spraying the underside of the upper level. Your railroad probably smells more like a railroad after the treatment when the diesel fuel was added to the spray. When I had a outside G scale train, keeping things clean was also fun and bugs of all kinds made a mess of the rails at times.

[jimtedesco]

Thanks for the cleaning tips Roy, When I had my automotive repair shop many years ago, I kept it fairly clean and organized. You would be surprised how many of my customers thought I didn't have much business because of my shops appearance. Sometimes people equate successful ventures with the amount of mess one has. I still like to keep my train room clean when possible, but sometimes I have to trash the room to make improvements.

[stevearnold]

I definitely have that problem. Since mine is a work in progress, mess is constant issue and on going. Tools get hidden and misplaced plus it’s in a small room so there’s not a lot of room to work. Trying to straighten it up to do a video is always exciting.

[jbmorrow]

Great info as always. One comment & one off topic question:
I try to print labels for the storage containers, even if clear plastic.I use a small P-Touch just for labels around the house.
At approximately 6:20 into this video, you have an intriguing backdrop that blends with the structures. Did you do a video of where you got it & it's placement?
Thx JB

[ainsleyperry]

Roy, A thought provoking video this week. I have to admit my new train room is very quickly turning into a sty. I seem to have " Stuff" everywhere. You don't see it so much these day's, but in times past layout owners used to make use of covers that hinged to the top of the backscene and to the baseboard edge, when the layout was'nt in use. For your cob-web issue you need a static feather duster on a extendable pole. your local hardware store should sell them. I can't help with your termite problem.Some say they are our food of the future. Termite steak does'nt have the same ring to it, though. Cheers, Chris Perry.

[auldstampguy]

Excellent video Roy. Great suggestions. Most are very applicable for me. Thankfully I don't have to worry about termites here in Minnesota. We have many issues with our climate here, but termites isn't one of them. I grew up in Australia so I know the problem of termites. It was a constant problem over there. We had to get the pest man out every year to spray the whole house.