Do any of save the original boxes that your loco/rolling stock came in? I have a whole desktop computer box full and am running out of room. That would be HO scale stuff by the way.
Thanks in advance.
Will,
I do. Although I don’t plan to, if I should ever decide to sell any of my locomotives (or rolling stock) in the future, I’d probably garner more money for them if they came in their original boxes. I’ve also kept all my kit boxes, as well.
Another good reason for keeping your locomotive boxes is if you should ever need to send any of your locomotives in for repair. The original box (and inserts) will be the best protection for it, since that was its original purpose and design.
Maybe it’s time to build a shelf underneath your benchwork for storage. I’ve seen a number of modelers do this.
Tom
Oh, boy…I wonder if ALL of us do this. I’m almost embarrassed about it.
If anyone were to ask me why I have hundreds of Athearn and Roundhouse and Suydam boxes with nothing in them, I’d struggle for an answer.
The above retort about having them in order to RE SELL the stuff, is way better than anything I could have dreamed up…so I’ll be using that, if anyone is bold enough to ask me, thanks.
Of course, now that I’m reaching the age NORMAN THAYER was, in the movie “On Golden Pond,” woe be to anyone who comes around my train area, asking ANYTHING personal. (I can close my eyes and envision myself chasing them out of the basement with a track cutting tool or something.)
I used to save them that was until I needed the space where I was storing them, so I just put them out recycle bin. But I do have foam padded drawers that I store them in so its not to much of an issue for me.
oops edit: I only get rid of freight car boxes, locomotives and passenger cars on the other hand I save in blue storage tubs.
I would strongly advise everyone to hold on to their original packaging for at least the duration of the warranty. [;)]
Even so, if I have to ask BLI or whomever if they would be willing to fix an out-of-warranty engine for a fee, and if they agree, it would be better to ship the item as it came to you. I figger if it came okay, it should go okay.
And, yes I keep the original container of all of my engines and for all my more expensive passenger cars. I also kept the six-pack BLI H2a hopper set packaging. Everything else gets sent to recycling if it is plastic and to my hot recycler not 8 feet away from me during heating season…it’s a wood furnace.
-Crandell
Yes, I keep them all. Since I am in the process of moving, they are real handy for packing rolling stock, power packs, DCC, etc. Everything but structure kits that are assembled, scratch (and some kit) built rolling stock, and salvaged track, for those I have to do new boxes. I store them under the layout.
I suspect many (most) of us are pack rats - you just never know when something might come in handy. I don’t know what your situation is, but you might be able to find space under a bed, in the garage, top of a closet, etc.
Enjoy
Paul
Caveat - most of my roster consists of units (steam, diesel, electric, EMU, DMU, passenger and freight stock) old enough to run for President. Most of my ‘younger’ stock has been kitbashed out of any resemblance to the original design.
With the exception of my half-dozen US-prototype ‘heritage’ locomotives, and a somewhat larger number of unassembled kits, the boxes my rolling stock came in have long since joined the recycle stream. I purchased all of my Japanese-prototype equipment to run on my layout, not to re-sell to collectors.
When moving time came around, I packed everything in plastic file tubs, separated and cushioned with foam cut from fan-fold underlayment. After 1700 miles in the back of a pickup, nothing was damaged in any way. (The file tubs are now full of my wife’s out-of-season clothing.)
Once a unit is placed on the railroad, it will either have rails under its wheels or be on the work surface for inspection, repair and/or modification. Since this is my ‘last in this lifetime’ layout, I’ll let my executor deal with packaging things for sale once I’ve stopped using them. (He only has about 28 years to wait.)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I will be the exception. With over 1500 freight cars on the railroad or storage tracks, I would have to give up the garage to hold the boxes, plus they are a fire hazard collecting dust in the basement.
As far as diesels, since I tend to buy quantities of the same diesel models, I keep a couple of boxes that could be used to ship them back and pitch the rest. I might say in all my years of HO (1958 to today) I have never had or wanted to send something back for warranty work, so no problem. I also plan to make only one more move, either to my grave or a nursing home, so before that happens I will have a grand sale of all MR items and pay someone to tear down the layout and head into the sunset.
Bob
From one “Will” to another, absolutely YES!
About 5 years ago I realized I needed to slim down my collection of HO locos & cars (many unbuilt) and have sold a plethora of them on Ebay each year. The boxes & papers definitely add to the sale value, and also provide a home for them when they are not on display or the layout. Some of the cars/boxes I have are from the early '70s, mostly Athearn kits. Looking at those prices (i.e. $1.98 flat car w/stakes, etc.) is sure fun.
I also have a Lionel postwar collection. About 3 years ago I decided to sell what boxes (NOT cars or locos - just boxes) I had that were (in my opinion) junk, being torn or otherwise messed up. You know what, all 30 or so of them sold, and at prices that amazed me. And, the buyers were all happy with them, for all I got was positive feedback.
Anyway, Postwar Lionel is not the same as HO, but you get my point.
Hey, find a closet (or in my case two double closets) and store them on the upper shelf!
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
Not every box, but do keep freight and passenger car boxes for the more expensive detailed RTR models. I don’t want to destroy any ladders and grab iron details when in storage.
Its strange but i do keep lots of them… they are good for storing little parts and torn aprt loco’s. I looked and actually have a couple N scale boxes that say Kadee on them. womder how old they are
I save all boxes so I can put the items back in them for storage – I have so many locomotives and pieces of rolling stock that I can’t possibly have them all out on my home or club layout, so many are in their boxes and put away.
MOKENARR: I just have to tell you, that with my “morning eyes” the photo of the train bursting out of a yellowish hole, was seen for half a second, as a giant FIRE it was escaping! Has anyone else told you that?
Yes and no. I have many of the original boxes that my brass locos came in. But not all of them came in original boxes to begin with–especially some of the locos I’ve picked up on consignment.
I’ve very seldom kept freight car boxes, unless like some of you other guys, I use them to store parts in. However, most of my passenger cars still have their original boxes–in fact, I actually store them in the boxes when they’re not on the layout, running. Little quirk of mine, I suppose.
Tom [:)]
I usually keep the boxes for locomotives and passenger cars, but not for freight cars. Some locomotive boxes I cut down for better storage, like the Proto ones that displayed the loco mechanism with the shell off. I keep some boxes for storing parts of projects that are underway.
actually its the TP&W trying to escape from the Santa Fe
I not only keep the boxes, but I’m continually trying to scrounge more, as I often buy used cars at the LHS (usually with no boxes) or scratchbuild my own cars. Many of the boxes shown below are from passenger cars, and contain two or four cars, as I keep passenger equipment separately, in large carrying cases. This storage area is below the staging yards (another to be built above the upper one), so, as cars cycle off the layout, they’re returned to their own box. This makes them easier to find for their next visit to the layout.
Wayne
My rolling stock is at my layout. OK, until now, I store the engine boxes.
There’s not enough room for empty boxes.
Wolfgang
It depends on the loco or car. I find the new Atlas boxes and the old Life-Like Proto 2000 locomotive boxes too big, so I chuck them out and use Athearn blue boxes instead. I cut and modify the styrofoam inserts so that they are small enough to fit in an Athearn blue box. I can jam more locos and cars into a small space if the storage boxes are smaller.
Your comment about the Atlas boxes reminded me that the newer-style boxes used by some manufacturers, with opening end flaps rather than a separate lid, aren’t especially suitable for storing the cars which came in them, especially if you modify the car at all.
The better ones for car storage are Athearn (blue box and older and long or short, depending on what you’re storing), Model Die Casting (dark blue boxes and older), Accurail (white or yellow), and the LifeLike Proto2000 boxes.
Wayne