How does everyone here store their rolling stock and engines when not in use? I put mine back in the little plastic boxes and then store them in drawers like these. The only problem is that I can no longer find these drawers for sale anywhere. I have seen the Travel N Trains drawers, but the price is way too high for them.
Try the Plano plastic boxes sold in the outdoors department at Walmart Cost about $4.00US and holds 32 forty foot cars each (without boxes). I believe the product number is 404.
I found two Plano "Guide Elite" Tackle boxes, two years ago at an after Christmas sale at Wal Mart. These are definately the best tackle box for N scale rolling stock. I havn't seen them lately though as I could use one more, but they were still listed as available at the Plano web site earlier this year. If you are even the least bit creative with these, you can cut some of the permanant drawer dividers out to add room for the longer cars and locos. There's room in the top of each box for 6-9 Plano part#3450 lure boxes, which hold 6 cars in the 90-100ton coal hopper range of size (or smaller). You can also use Plano part #3701 lure tray which is a drawer size tray with adjustable dividers. You can fit two of these in the top of the Guide Elite. At Wal Mart in the craft dept, they sell 7" x 11"x 1/8" thick foam sheets that I use to line the drawers. They are called "Foamies" and are dirt cheap. Do NOT use the anti-skid material that looks like fish net for drawer liner. It's rubber coating has been known to stain items which come in contact with it. Hope this info helps. My "tackle boxes" are the envy of the Ntrak club that I belong to, as most of the other members have spent the big bucks on the box that is listed in the back of N Scale Magazine which costs 3 times as much and holds less.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm thinking about the rifle cases at Walmart. They're less than $25, and are at least as long as a rifle. They have a medium density foam on both sides of the case, so that I could just line up my rolling stock and locomotives in their boxes, close the lid and carry everything away in the one case. When I tried the tackle box method, I spend too much time opening and closing boxes looking for a particular piece. Sure I could label the drawers, but I'm not comulsive enough to put them in the right spot when I put them away. With the rifle case, I can instantly look at the entire collection. With multiple cases, I could organize by consist (passenger equipment in one case, intermodal in another...) This image from http://www.camping-hunting.com/.
I saw in the latest issue of N Scale magazine..... Not storage, but display of N scale stuff, CHEAP! The materials are pegboard brackets, and string, flouresent light tube protectors, and the end caps, and some track. Put the track in, roll the trains in with a railing ramp, and add end caps. Locos on either side will keep the consist from moving. They are easy to dust, nice displays, and CHEAP! Hey, did I mention 'CHEAP!!' ? That's right up my alley.
I guess I'm really cheap. I use cardboard box lids from corporate-type file boxes bought at an office supply store. I use the boxes for other things - the lid 'edges' that make a snug fit to the bottom of the box protects the rolling stock when I stack the lids atop one another on a convenient shelf. I separate the rolling stock with foam inserts. I also use cheap plastic fishing tackle boxes.
