I need to use up my quota of dumb questions before 2014 is over. I am thinking of putting Woodland Scenics snow on the layout and then in February vacuuming it of. Is this a disaster waiting to happen or will it be okay?
-Ted
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we used to use it at OCSMR at Christmas time and then vacuum it off. problem with loose snow is it gets caught up in the gears and caused havoc. they don't use it anymore.
Ted
Its summer on my layout all year, As John stated it gets caught up in gears
Steve
Thanks for the question TMack. You might have just saved me a lot of trouble.
Good morning Ted, my layout is winter time all the time.
I use the fine styrofoam that you purchase in a bag at most craft stores.
It is true it can get up into the gearing and electronics of the locomotives so I keep it back off the tracks and ballast, "been there done that".
This type of styrofoam is very lite and appears to sparkle a bit like real snow and when your done with it can be sucked back up with a vacuum with no problem.
A word of caution when suck up the snow in the vacuum take it outside to dump it because the styrofoam will have static electricity in it and makes a mess, trust me !!
I am still experimenting with something to make the tracks and ballast look snow covered but have not come up with anything real life like looking as of yet.
I have all steam engines so if anyone asks i tell them the steam engines keep the snow melted on the tracks.
Good luck!!!!
Originally Posted by MarkStrittmatter:
I am still experimenting with something to make the tracks and ballast look snow covered but have not come up with anything real life like looking as of yet.
Good luck!!!!
Here's something I wonder if someone would ever make. Lionel makes FasTrack with a plastic base that extends out beyond the track. Wouldn't there be a (small) market for "special edition winter tracks" where they took all the area that's currently gray and made it white...maybe even made the spaces between the ties white,...so that it would look like freshly fallen snow? They could even add a little undulation or unevenness to the sections on either side of the outside rails to make the recent snowfall it look more realistic. Maybe they could only sell it around the holidays, hence the "limited edition" thing. I'll bet there would be more than a few people who would buy this....people who model winter scenes...folks putting up a loop around the tree, etc. This would eliminate the need to experiment with loose granules and what not that would gum up your gears. Just a thought. 
- Mike
Good morning Mike, that is a thought and I like the idea.
Not sure if we will ever see it ever produced by Lionel or any other manufactures but that would be one way to resolve the issue of snow up around the track and ballast.
I put the nasty plastic fake snow down and tediously arrange it so it's not near or on the track. I'e never had an issue and I don't put it everywhere, but my layout is temporary so that makes it a little easier. Yes, I just vacuum it up when done. It doesn't look half bad under the tree with Lemax houses and trees deployed strategically. For a real, permanent layout, I'd probably consider using something else.
