Saltwater

This forum is dedicated to Riding Scale Railroading with propulsion using other than steam (Hydraulics, diesel engines, gas engines, electric motors, hybrid etc.)

Moderator: Harold_V

Post Reply
Geochurchi
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:49 am
Location: Concord ,NH / Naples, Fl

Saltwater

Post by Geochurchi »

Hi All, all of our locomotives have been submerged in salt water in Naples, Fl. looking for thoughts on where to start the restoration project, crankcases full of water electrical circuits , battery all corroded , a real mess
Thanks
If it ain’t broken keep working on it until it is .
Geo πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10464
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Saltwater

Post by Bill Shields »

Start with taking everything apart and washing it down with fresh water QUICKLY..get a hand weed sprayer that is clean and fill with fresh water. Use it to wash everything off. Garden hose if nothing else.

Drain any sumps, get fresh oil in them and hand circulate as best you can...then dump oil and start again.

Change filters twice.

If you cannot get the component apart, seriously consider submerging and circulating fresh water.. quickly

Even if you can get the component apart but it is going to take time .. fresh water tub is better than dried salt.

Wash with fresh before blowing with air. A film of salt is almost as bad as salt bath.

If salt has gotten into the batteries they may be throwaways.

Speakers are gonners no matter what.

Switches may not survive.

Light sockets..spray with CRC stuff that displaces water (forget the number 2-56?) After you wash them out with fresh water.

Relays maybe will survive but do not count on it. If relays are soldered to a board, be careful what you spray on the board that may interfere with soldering at a later time...THIS INCLUDES WD40...never use that stuff where soldering may ever occur.

Other electronics, as long as they do not have pockets of salt...may well be ok.

Get everything open and ventilated and out in the sun or in a dry warm environment with circulating dry air

Pray...

This from a guy that had to recover a CAT D7 dozer that was submerged in salt water.

DC brush motors want to be disassembled if at alll possible.

once all is open and dry and devoid of salt, you have time to work from one end to the other.

Ugh..what a mess. PLS went through this last year but with fresh water. The club loco went back to the mfgr.

I saved an electric and a steamer. Steamer was easy. Electric more of a headache but back on the track only a little worse for the wear.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
User avatar
Steggy
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: JB Pritzker’s Hellhole
Contact:

Re: Saltwater

Post by Steggy »

Bill Shields wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:34 amIf salt has gotten into the batteries they may be throwaways.

Salt and lead-acid batteries are a very unfriendly combination, and any such battery that has been salt-contaminated should be consider unsafe to use. The mixing of salt and sulfuric acid can generate elemental chlorine gas, which may be fatal if inhaled. Contaminated batteries should be left to sit outside for several days and then safely disposed.
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
Music isn’t at all difficult.Β  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!Β  :D
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10464
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Saltwater

Post by Bill Shields »

spoken like a true sub-mariner
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
BClemens
Posts: 475
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 10:04 pm
Location: Gloucester, VA (Sassafras)

Re: Saltwater

Post by BClemens »

Observing what Ian (the horrible) did has been heartbreaking enough but going into the intricacies and details like this brings tears to the eyes! God bless you grand folks with all that has been at once thrown at you!! Bill Shields needs to go over with you folks and oversee these restorations! I'm too damned old to do any good - without a bottle of scotch (poor excuse!)

BClemens
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10464
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Saltwater

Post by Bill Shields »

any you think that I didn't do the work with an open bottle of Lagavulin at my side?

sorry...but no way am I going to Florida....i like it here in Delaware
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
User avatar
Steggy
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: JB Pritzker’s Hellhole
Contact:

Re: Saltwater

Post by Steggy »

Bill Shields wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:36 amspoken like a true sub-mariner

Not me. I was in the surface Navy. No way I was getting into something that was intentionally designed to sink. :shock:
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
Music isn’t at all difficult.Β  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!Β  :D
BClemens
Posts: 475
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 10:04 pm
Location: Gloucester, VA (Sassafras)

Re: Saltwater

Post by BClemens »

Geochurchi wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:34 am Hi All, all of our locomotives have been submerged in salt water in Naples, Fl. looking for thoughts on where to start the restoration project, crankcases full of water electrical circuits , battery all corroded , a real mess
Thanks
Brother in law from Dover, NH left a few days ago to take care of some things in North Port, FL. (Small world...) We haven't heard from him so figure he is quite busy with the clean-up going on there... I have never seen a storm like Ian do what it did - traveled up the west coast of FL, made a right at Ft. Myers, slowed down over land and traveled across FL and made a left turn just past the east coast of FL. Like some devious soul was steering it!
As others have said - be very careful around those lead acid batteries! Hope fresh water is available because a rinse off of the salt is probably the first action - even to the extent of totally submerging some items for somewhat of a means of stopping the corrosive action of salt water and oxygen. Best to you folks and I sincerely wish I could help out somehow - that is heartbreaking!
ChooChooChris
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:01 pm

Re: Saltwater

Post by ChooChooChris »

Saltwater + time is what is bad. Even for electronics water + no power = fine. Like said above wash with freshwater (electronics maybe consider distilled). It is not as huge of deal as you think it will be.
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
rkcarguy
Posts: 1730
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:33 am
Location: Wa State

Re: Saltwater

Post by rkcarguy »

Automatic transmission fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it will absorb water. Get the water out of any crankcases and cylinders and fill with ATF as soon as possible. The cylinder bores rust quickly and the motor will be junk then.
Post Reply