Turns out school is over, meaning the dorm layout, which has no way of getting home, is going to live wrapped up in a storage unit over the summer. I decided to keep all of my n-scale doings as a strictly during-school thing, so the collection is going in storage too... sigh Sad, but hopefully my real passion, , my HO stuff, will get some attention. A big summer goal is to complete the mainline, which currently traverses about half of the wall-length of the room. I'll keep y'all posted. BTW any last minute layout-storing suggestions? Final farewell for a few months:
Just concern yourself with heat, since you didn't say where you are storing it. I know heat can affect layouts, but since most of your track appears to be on foam, it may not be an issue.
For storage, be concened with temperature ranges, and any humidity. Otherwise, it should do just fine. Remember, you'll now have all summer to imagineer what can be done on the layout, after school resumes. Boxcab E50
Put two 2x4 blocks on the floor, stand the layout on one end on them, then lean the "up" end against the wall one foot away from a corner. (It would have been better if you had screwed a piece of one inch aluminum angle "iron" on the two "up" end corners, so these could hold the layout away from the wall to protect any scenery.) Always turn the scenery toward the wall as protection from bumping with other boxes, or by other people. Your wrapping job looks good. Cars and engines seem to store best while lying on one side or the other, as they do on the LHS shelf. Pack them in a box with an inch or more of padding on all sides around the box interior. Try to pack them so they will not shift if moved or the box is turned upside down. A good idea is to use a large trash bag, turn the box upside down, wrap the bag around the box smoothly, folding any excess neatly on the box then tape in place. (Might add a couple of packs of desiccant before sealing up.) Now place two more 2x4's to set this box on. When you turn this box right side up, water can not find a crack or seam to get inside the box, since the open end of the bag is now down and sealed with tape. Word of caution: Never store any rolling stock in a position where its weight is sitting on the wheels! Especially for an extended length of time, like all summer! The weight sitting on the wheel flanges, will cause the plastic to creep making the flange mushroom out as it flattens. Plastic trucks have had the metal axel points elongate the hole, and in some cases went completely through the truck side frame! Car bodies will sag from the lead weight too. So, get in the habit of storing your rolling stock on its side, and you will never have any of these problems when you come back in the fall. You will, however, probably find a few Black Widow or Brown Recluse spiders have taken up residence in nooks and crannies around and under these stored items, so WEAR LEATHER GLOVES when you move any of this stored stuff. Wear long sleeves, and duct tape seal the wrist end of the gloves to the shirt sleeve so an angry spider can't run in the glove, or up your sleeve! Their bite may not kill you, but it will hurt so bad you will wish you had died for several weeks. It leaves a nasty scar where the flesh rotted away too! Those 2x4 blocks saved several boxes of engines when a water heater broke letting water run into the closet where they were stored! Out in the shop we use 4x4's in-case of a roof leak, or a garden sprinkler gets away from us. I can't help you much if the ground cracks open letting the layout fall a mile or so down into the earth. That is an act of God, and I am not about to argue with Him!
It's going into a nice mini-storage unit down here, and I'm not too worried about the weather getting to harsh down here on the California Coast... We have some scrap wood down here that I think I'll used to help elevate and isolate it. It's a pretty clean storage place so I don't think I'll be setting any nasty creatures free in the dorm next year Very cool tip about the rolling stock...I'd never thought of it. As of now all the n-scale stuff is in fancy tacklebox that's been fitted for it. I'll have to say I really enjoy the bi-scale experience. There's things I love about both. No use discriminating over any train no matter what size
I'm bi (actually quad if you consider some American Flyer S I inherited and the G scale stuff I toy aorund with) and I agree it's best. All my HO is packed away until I get a house to put it in, so I'm N only now, but I like working with both.
