I’m just curious as to how everyone stores their locos and rolling stock when they are not being run? Do you leave them in the original containers or did you purchase one of the many padded storage devices available on the market. _________________ Mark Ratcals Red Ale It's What The Others Strive To Be!
I use the cases they came in and place them in small cardboard archive boxes. The few I have without cases I keep in smaller cardboard boxes with a little towelling between to save damage until I get my cupboards out of storage and do a few repairs to it's many padded drawers. Gary. ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page N to the Nth degree! [This message has been edited by Gats (edited 14 July 2000).]
I have a storage box with sliding draws, the draws are lined with foam. I still keep locomotives in their original box's but store rollingstock without there box's ------------------ http://users.bigpond.net.au/railroad2000
I keep all my rolling stock in the jewel boxes and stack them in cardboard boxes for storage. I have some of my Passenger trains in foam lined cardstock boxes with cut-outs that fit the cars and Loco's. I may invest in a foam lined hard case someday. RoyalBlue has one, he could tell you where he got it. ------------------ RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
Most of my locos and cars are in their jewel boxes inside any old cardboard box (usually the box in which they arrived thru' the Royal Mail) occupying some of the very limited space in my wardrobe; a few favourite items sit on shelves or on the bedside table for admiration whenever I walk past or cast my eyes in the appropriate direction; the trouble is that then they become liable to damage when my wife dusts (usually too often and despite me asking her not to go anywhere near places in the house where I keep my hobby items). Ben
I like the idea of keeping the equipment stored in it's original box or package unless it's out on the layout. Since the layout is still in the track laying stage, most of my rolling stock is stored in a filling cabinet in a spare room. The engines stay on a shelf near the layout. I have found that my old cigar boxes are good for moving rolling stock to the layout room. It also helps keep the empty jewel cases neat and easy to find whenever it's time to switch out cars. If you are interested in trying out the cigar boxes, most good cigar or tobacco stores will usually sell their empty boxes for a dollar or two. That may sound expensive for an empty box but the good ones are hand made. They come in all wood with hinges and clasp (my favorite type) and in wood with paper laminated on the wood to hold the joints together and the lid on. Give them a try. These boxes are pretty nice. Richard Turney ------------------
If space permits, how do you all feel about leaving locos and rolling stock on the layout? Since I do not yet have a real layout, most of my locos and rolling stock are on display on a bookcase in my train room. Later, Matt N Scale is better because: "N" comes before "O" in the Alphabet.
I don't have a space problem, so I have all my rolling stock on the layout. I have about 250 cars, at last count and I have them mostly divided up and rolling on four main lines behind various power lash-ups. About 10 engines are sitting on several passing tracks. Have few hoppers setting on sidings, container and trailer cars setting at ship loading dock area. I have room for two good size yards. One yard holds about 40 engines on ready tracks, shop repair tracks, roundhouse entrance and refueling docks. Another yard holds mainly my passenger cars and some switchers. I keep only special engines and cars in a homemade display case (fathers day gift). The special ones are engines and rolling stock that I've purchased on trips thru Europe and the USA. I try to run them all at various times to keep them in condition and to add change to the layout. .....Eddie ------------------ Eddie Delozier PRR N-scale deloziers.com eddelozier@yahoo.com
Depends on what we are talking about. Storing without display, I keep all rolling stock in the boxes that they came. If the cars/motive power were kit-built then I have storage boxes that I have picked up at swap meets and other places. I also keep a couple of metal tool boxes ready to go to club shows, one with rolling stock, one with motive power, and a tool box with an assortment of tools for working on items at a show. I try to help any and all visitors with car/motive power problems at club shows. (Damn good Public Relations!) If you mean storage and display, I leave a lot of cars and motive power on the layout. But ALL of my collection of SPECIAL-RUN KADEE/MICRO-TRAINS are locked up. Some are in a PADLOCKED glass display case in the train room. Some are in a locked closet. Some of the SPECIAL-RUN cars are worth a little money and some are worth a lot. I have both. I have told my wife that if we ever have a fire at the house, I will get her and the kid out first. Then get the dogs out. And then I am going back in the basement to get a certain couple of storage boxes full of my SPECIAL-RUN CARS. (She thinks I am kidding!!) A word to the wise, check on how much your trains are worth. I have mine insured on our HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE policy for about $20 extra a year. ------------------ Let's Go Run Trains MARK [This message has been edited by porkypine52 (edited 15 July 2000).]
I use clear plastic tray containers. Each container holds 16-40 cars. (16-85 ft passenger cars, 40-40 foot freight cars). I also used a large plastc carrying case which can hold 3 of the trays in a bottom compartment. The top compartment holds my engines which are in their original boxes. I can get 16-20 engines plus another plastic tray of cars. The trays once closed are waterproof. Each case can carry up to 20 engines and 160 cars.
I still use the original boxes, but I want to use that big tackle box type that I see advertised for $149. The only reason I don't buy it is price and color. Who wants to pay $149 for a $30 dollar tackle box in baby doo brown? ------------------ Robert Ray The NP & UP N-Scale Railroad
I got the large box in baby doodoo brown but didn'y pay $140 for it. I laughed when I saw that ad. Try $20.00 at Dunham Sports. Look in fishing dept. Early spring or late fall is usually when the stuff goes on sale.
I store all my locomotives in their original boxes, and keep these in a plastic 'tool box', acquired very cheaply at a local store (I have several). This is just the right size to take Kato Boxes cross-wise. When it is full, I will have too many locomotives Freightcars are also kept in one of these boxes, but not in their boxes, but laid on their sides, in layers, with bubble wrap between the layers. Some cars are left on the track, especially the Deluxe Gunderson double stack cars, which are fixed together in a five unit set, and are a pain to re-rail ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
Like Alan, I keep the old boxes, and assign every car to a home box (That way I cxan pack fast, unload fast ect..) It also is a dream for maint. as I can just stick a car in its box, and add a red sticker. This tells me its BOed. A blue sticker is for upgrade (wheels, coupler ect..) and a yellow sticker means it has been about 6 months, the car needs a look over. Happy Railroading!! Dane N. ------------------ BC Rail King InternationalRegion@tamr.org for TAMR info. BCRailKing@Canada.com Dane_Nicholson@tamr.org [This message has been edited by BC Rail King (edited 16 July 2000).]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BC Rail King: Like Alan, I keep the old boxes, and assign every car to a home box (That way I cxan pack fast, unload fast ect..) It also is a dream for maint. as I can just stick a car in its box, and add a red sticker. This tells me its BOed. A blue sticker is for upgrade (wheels, coupler ect..) and a yellow sticker means it has been about 6 months, the car needs a look over. Happy Railroading!! Dane N. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Dane and Alan, How come you just don't leave them on the layout? Is it a dust or space problem? Just curious. Matt N Scale is better because: Because we have the SD35 and HO does not
I don't leave stuff on the layout, partly because of the on-going layout construction, they would be in the way, and get dusty, and also because of security - or lack of it. I plan to fit a full burglar alarm system to protect everything, so I can leave all stock on the layout when it is completed. ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
Again, my answer is semi-similar to Alan. My layout is under construction, and is yet to have layed down track (we do own the track though ) I have a small layout, and there are way to many cars for it. It has a capacity of about 75 (Including one train one main line) cars, but that would have every siding cramped full, so I can only use about 50. I don't really have a ton of cars, about 100, but not bad at all considering how long I have been in N scale. Happy RRing!! Dane N. ------------------ BC Rail King BCRailKing@Canada.com InternationalRegion@tamr.org for TAMR info. Dane_Nicholson@tamr.org http://www.tamr.org
Since I move so often (every two to three years), I store my cars and locos in clear Rubbermaid storage containers. I can fit 60+ cars (in original boxes) in each container. When I want to run anything at an N-Trak meet I use foam padded Car Cases. The car cases make it easier to set up before and pack up after an operating session. The nice thing about the Rubbermaid containers is when the moving van comes up, all I have to do is tape the lids shut. I've never had damaged models resulting from a move. Wish I could say the same thing about our furniture Look Ahead, Look South
