Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with flying with your models? Have you ever carried on locomotives or rolling stock? Did you have any issues going through security or told you need to check your items? I am preparing for a day trip next month and anticipate coming home with some items from a show. I want to be prepared if I need to check a bag but prefer to carry on. I couldnt find anything on the subject so if you know of a thread somewhere where this was already discussed, please piont me in the right direction. Thank you.
I’ve flown with HO-scale RTR rolling stock from time to time, everything from passenger cars in their original boxes packed in a carry-on backpack to a locomotive in a carry-on suitcase. I’ve never had any issues.
I had a few old Rivarossi models in my checked bags once. I thought about security, so I wrote a note and left it on top of the clothing I’d wrapped the trains in for protection. When I got home, my note was gone and there was a TSA notice that my bag had been inspected. I figured somebody would pull it aside when they looked at the X-ray. No problems, though.
I’ve learned that they won’t let you carry on a lacrosse stick, though, in case that’s in your plans.
You should have no problems bringing locomotives or rolling stock aboard in your carry-on luggage. The list of prohibited items can be found here: https://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items. (And yes, it does include lacrosse sticks and spear guns.)
Lion has traveled with subway train in his baggage many times, Plan to buy som more when next I am in the city, but I use checked baggage now. I am a LION, not a pack animal, I refuse to donkey my stuff over three filgits.
LION go on vacation in August.
ROAR
The electronic parts combind with the motor, weights, etc. in DCC locos may be somethng that may get a closer look. It’s somethng TSA does not see every day, and they may need an explanation what it is all about. MR B’s idea of putting a note in checked luggage sounds like a good idea. He said his checked suitcase was opened and examined by TSA. His missing note probably went with a report to TSA files of what was found.
One time when I was coming home from the UK, I had a glass paperweight that I had bought for my wife. It was leaded glass, and it showed up on the x-ray when I was changing planes in Boston. I could see the screen, and told them what it was. They still took it out to have a look.
Even before 9/11, I had problems with typical Accurail or Walthers kits. They would often look at the metal weight and decide it could be a potential problem, and I always had to check that luggage. RTR might be seen as less of a threat, even if you could see the weight in the X-ray. Several years after 9/11, I had a problem with a track cleaner car whose purpose wasn’t clear. They called me aside and asked what it was, but when I explained it and came across as just a hobbyist, they let it through. I would say in general that you’re beter off checking.
Boarding a plane in Bozeman, Montana, after a ski trip, I noticed several signs informing us all that snow globes could not be brought aboard in carry-on luggage.
Thank you all for the feedback. It is just as I suspected, inconsistent. I may just bring a suitcase full of soft material and be prepared to be turned around to check it.
I had purchased a Sounder set on vacation once, and had no trouble on the first flight. A couple of days later, my carryon bag was inspected as they were concerned about the passenger cars, but oddly not the locomotive…
My last trip to Denver (and Caboose Hobbies) I brought home two sets of Kato n scale intermodal cars with containers in my carry-on backpack; no issues.
In general, there shouldn’t be a problem with locos and cars. However, tools are another story - hard to build models without a knife, and glue, and screwdrivers. If you are just taking equipment to display for a contest or run on someone’s ayout, should be no problem. Taking models along on a trip to work on, might not work out so well.
Most of my business trips are within driving distance, so I often throw my toolbox and a coupel fo unfinished kits in the car to work on while otherwise just sitting in a hotel room.
–Randy
I fly to Denver every Christmas and most of the time I end up - - you know where - - Caboose Hobbies, of course! I have carried on rolling stock with no problems, but any locomotives, I’ve had them shipped, I was just too afraid of damaging them while traveling.
Hello All,
I’m assuming you are flying within the boarders of your country; U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, U.K., etc. Boarder crossings with “technology” can be a nightmare.
With my experience in flying with “technology” having original packaging and documentation helps. Receipts, hand-written bills of sales, manifests of what you are transporting; model numbers, descriptions and, if available, serial numbers, helps- -especially carrying on items that have PC boards, LEDs, capacitors and other electrical components, the “B-word” making stuff to the TSA.
That being said, my wife was told that she couldn’t pass through security at the Denver International Airport with her Calamari and Cocktail Sauce.
The Calamari was OK but because the Cocktail Sauce was in a 4-ounce container it was not allowed!?! Over the TSA limits for liquids.
She simply poured the sauce over the Calamari, handed the empty cup to the TSA guard and passed through security.
A month later, a friend of ours was flying back from Michigan into DIA from a hunting trip to the U.P.
When he got home he discovered that he had forgotten that his 8-inch skinning knife had been in the bottom of his carry-on bag for the flight home. No TSA agent caught this!!!
Go figure!
It’s not the best answer but; as many of my ski & snowboard guests have discovered traveling with their equipment, it’s easier to ship the items via FEDEX or UPS and avoid the entire TSA hassle.
Yes it is an additional cost but it’s insured and it guarantees that it will not be “confiscated” because of an overzealous TSA agent.
Hope this helps.
Years ago, I bought some HO scale equipment from George’s Trains in Toronto and flew back to Halifax with them in the carry-on bag - the passenger cars and parts were no problem, but the Atlas FA raised all sorts of questions and required a supervisor and a re-x-ray to pass (but it did). I felt kind of odd when the security agent dug through my bag, pulled out the Atlas box and held it high in the air, then shouted “Do we let this stuff through?”
Last month, we flew back from Paris to Montreal, and the HO scale passenger car I’d bought as a souvenir (we’d travelled on the real thing) was dug out of carry-one, but once they saw the box they put it back and went after my son’s souvenir glass decoration instead…
James
Ottawa, ON
The last time I flew across the Pacific the bird made an unscheduled stop in Alaska (engine problem) and all the passengers were processed through customs there. The X-ray people had no problem with a 2-8-2 kit in my carry-on, but balked at what one thought was an Innuit seal-skinning blade. Turned out to be the clamp of the clipboard holding my movement orders…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Times have changed–
Back during the time if you were headed to the west coast, and you might end up in Havanna, a LEO on vacation carrying a weapon was most welcome on commercial aircraft.
On two occasions my wife and I had our seating elevated to first class because I was carrying my .45 in a shoulder holster, which was encouraged by the airlines at that time.
Whereas I qualify twice a year with the agency I retired from, I can CC nationally, however—I don’t want to think about the goat-rope that would ensue if I tried to fly today with one of my weapons.
This is also about the time bombs were being placed on aircraft, a professor of stastical mathematics and I were pondering the odds of being on an aircraft with a bomb. He came to the conclusion that if you carried your own bomb with you, the odds of two bombs being on the same aircraft were incalculable----
Don’t think I want to try that either–explaining a 4-8-2 is much easier on the blood pressure–not to mention other parts of the body.
herrinchoker
How you pack stuff is more important that you might think. Think about what it would look like on the x-ray!
About ten years ago, I forgot to take the batteries out of a charger I had. Seems pretty innocent, eh? I’m going through with my carry-on and I notice they’re running my bag back and forth a lot. I get the wave over for the bonus poking and prodding. While I’m walking over to the table for them to put the long white stick into my bag and ask me “is there anything in here that can hurt me” (if I was a bad guy, would I say yes?), I get a glimpse of what they saw: a power supply (the AA batteries for my camera in a “battery holder),” some wiring (cellphone charger and USB cable for the camera), a series of circuit boards (the camera), and two tanks of liquid (two 20oz Dr Peppers) all layered on top of each other. I give you one guess what it looked like, even to my eyes and I knew what I was looking at!
Ever since then, I arrange things to…not look like other things.
Welcome to “the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
Hi, reading this thread reminds me of something that occurred back in 1985. Its only barely related to the topic so I apologize in advance…
In '85, my previous wife flew to Chicago (from Houston) to visit relatives. While there, unknown to me, she picked up a postwar Lionel steamer as a gift for me. I had had Lionel as a kid, but at the time had no real interest in them.
Apparently it gave the security folks all kinds of grief at O’Hara, and they almost didn’t let her on the plane. At the last minute, they let her pass.
So I got the gift, and it was nice, but the wife took off a year later. After the smoke settled, I got the Lionel collecting bug and over the next 12 years put several thousands of dollars into building a collection.
Ha, that sounds just fine, except I bought at the height of the Lionel/Flyer collecting frenzy and paid “big bucks” for the pieces. Today, those pieces are generally worth about 1/4 to 1/3 of what I paid for them.
Looks like the Ex gigged me again - years after she ran off…
Oh, gotta ad… I’ve had a “new and improved” wife now for almost 15 years, and she definitely appreciates the MR bug…