OO in the garden query

[ianwales]

Since I live in Wales and as they say if you can see the mountains its a sign of rain, if you can't it's already raining, my question is can a 4mm OO garden layout be run during rainy weather or are you restricted to dry sunny days?

 

Ian

[Phil Parker]

Yes it can. Unlike tap water, it seems that rainwater doesn't conduct electricity.

 

If you want to be sure - nail a bit to a plank and leave it outside, then test with old stock and a 9V battery. Obviously, you need to wait for some rain...

[Fat Controller]

6 minutes ago, ianwales said:

Since I live in Wales and as they say if you can see the mountains its a sign of rain, if you can't it's already raining, my question is can a 4mm OO garden layout be run during rainy weather or are you restricted to dry sunny days?

 

Ian

Forty or more years ago, we ran the Reverend Lewis's line in Townhill in rain and falling snow. Swiss Valley shouldn't pose any problems...

[RJS1977]

On 07/08/2022 at 18:42, Phil Parker said:

Yes it can. Unlike tap water, it seems that rainwater doesn't conduct electricity.

 

If you want to be sure - nail a bit to a plank and leave it outside, then test with old stock and a 9V battery. Obviously, you need to wait for some rain...

 

It depends on what minerals are dissolved in the water. Rainwater is (relatively) pure. Tap water, which will have picked up impurities from running through the ground, being in a river, and potentially having been through several people before it gets to you, is somewhat less pure and will have picked up a number of minerals along the way.

 

My father was once involved in an experiment at Carrington power station to see how 'impure' the water used for washing insulators could be before flashover occurred. When it did, it shut down a custard factory in Salford, and turned all the signals to red between Manchester and Crewe!