Having just converted from N scale (well, I am still there too) I am starting to build up a fleet of HO equipment. Before it gets out of hand, I plan to convert them to metal wheels and Kadee couplers. Since it might be many years before I have a layout to run them on, I need to find a way to store them. Except for my locomotives, I want an easy way to store my cars.
I was thinking about purchasing an Axian brand storage box but wondered if there were any other suggestions you guys had? I have read that the cars must be wrapped in plastic for long-term storage, and I was going to use some plastic wrap or cut up ziplock bags or something.
Excuse me if another thread covers this subject. If so, just point me there and I will be on my way.
Interesting. I keep my HO in the original boxes. I cut pieces of soft urethane foam to make a close fitting nest for each car. I stack the boxed rolling stock into empty liquor cartons. It’s cheap, and the cars are padded against damage for when I take them down to the club or to the show.
A lot of guys at the club built “rollies”, big boxes on castors that fit under the layout. Inside the rollie there were a lot of pull out shelves and the rolling stock stood upon its wheels on each shelf. The rollie kept the dust out and was perfectly adequate so long as the rollie stayed indoors. Rollies do not offer much protection against the bangs and bumps of motor transportation.
Some guys bought roll around tool boxes from Sears or Horrible Freight. These worked about like rollies but came ready to run.
You could try using Dell keyboard boxes. They’re smaller than the Axian boxes but pretty much the same height. Since the boxes aren’t lined, you’d need to come of with some foam, newspaper, or something to keep your locomotives and rolling stock from becoming “mobile”. Putting them in their original boxes is another altenative.
I have four (4) of the Axian storage/tote boxes and like them very much. The nice thing about them is that the foam helps keep the contents separated and secure. They also come with labels and additional foam inserts.
For long-term storage, Axian does suggest as a precaution using either plastic (e.g. drycleaning bag) or tissue paper to wrap your storage items in because the foam liners may stick to certain paints in rare cases. I chose to use tissue paper because it’s thin and any oil will be more readily absorbed in the paper rather than with plastic.
I use “Pizza Boxes” for excess freight equipment, get the good ones that are sturdy and not those thin cheap ones. Just go to your favorite Pizza place, the independents are usually easier to work with, and ask them what they’ll sell you some of thier boxes for.
I bought about 50 of them quite some time ago for 25 cents each and am still using them, they’re just the right size for HO.
I like keeping mine in the original boxes too. A few of the 50’s become a little long when you add the couplers. If you can’t turn the trucks a slightly larger box may be necessary. I tend to use packing peanuts to keep the cars from moving around.
For cars that I pick up at shows that do not have boxes, check boxes make a good substitute for 40’ cars.
My wife gets food from Schwanns and some other place that comes in heavy cardboard boxes. Open up like a briefcase. They are a little deeper than pizza boxes and more rectungular. I have thought of getting some soft foam for the top and bottom liners and using pink or blue extruded foam between the rows. Have seen some commercial ones that look very much like this being used buy the members of the club that brought the layout.
Cases of beer come in low boxes and I got many in liquor store bins but that was a long time ago so Forty Niners pizza boxes would be more avalable. I wrap each piece of rolling stock in the slick kind of advertisement paper from junk mail. This has worked good. Write on each box whats in there but if you accumulate many boxes keep a list of each boxes contents on a sheet of paper you can read without contortions.
I purchased the Axian boxes, and like them. I lined mine with clean, white packing paper, and I just shipped mine across the ocean, in a large metal box, to one of the hottest places around during the hottest months. No paint damage of any kind.
I did have some damage from cars sliding back and forth (mostly just box cars coming off of their frames), Axian gives you extra foam which I discovered you should use, cut into small pieces, to prevent them from doing exactly that.
I doubt folks may be shipping their items internationally via container as I did on a regular basis, but overall I’m very pleased with how they’ve worked, and pleased with the space savings I get versus original packaging.
Wow, thanks for all of the great replies. As I was before I asked, I am leaning towards the Axian boxes but the suggestion to use pizza boxes is also interesting. If I showed up to my club with some of them, though, and opened them up without having pizza inside there would be a lot of unhappy campers!
