I’m in purge mode as I’m about to tear up the layout and hopefully expand. In the process I’m purging the stuff from under the layout and one of the things that are taking up “Too Much Space” is the packaging for many of my Locomotives.
I realize it’s important to keep the original boxes for Brass engines but what about the boxes for the “high End” plastic locos? I plan to keep the Engines until I die or get too old to enjoy them (if that’s possible!)
So the question is: Do I throw out the Non-brass engine boxes even those boxes that are “Limited runs”?
I keep mine. Once the foam gets older, you can always resort to using parchment paper as a wrap and not have to worry about the dreaded problems associated with sticking and deteriorating foam liners. But for me, I would be much more willing to buy a locomotive in well-preserved original packaging. It would suggest a care and respect for the item that others letting them sit loose in boxes might not have.
NO !!! Never throw away the box’s if you do have to get rid of the engines not only will they protect them but will give the new owner the info without having to look up the engine or rolling stock. If I buy a piece and it does not have a box, when i find one to fit i relabel the box with as much info that i can or know.
Save the boxes. I have all my HO equipment in boxes, not all are in the original boxes, but they are protected. I use them at the club and at shows and it is easy to transport them in the large rubbermaid tubs.
I keep my N gauge locos that are not on the layout in the original gem boxes, also for protection from physical damage as well as dirt and dust (cat and dog hair). I have all the original gem boxes for my freight and passenger cars and any that are not on the layout are stored in them.
I keep mine, even those gigantic black Bachmann boxes. They protect the locomotives from dust, dirt, things falling on them, and banging on things. I keep the locomotives in boxes when they are not on the layout. Sounds like you are entering a period of no rolling stock on the layout, so I’d think the boxes might be useful.
I’m going to have to go with the consensus, Fergie. I would much rather buy a locomotive in it’s original packaging than one that was placed in a generic box. It’s not a guarantee of how well it was treated by the former owner but it best protects the locomotive in transport between the buyer and seller - i.e. should you or someone else decide to part ways with it eventually.
I agree with the answers thus far. For me, I keep all of my boxes, even the Athearn blue boxes, not only for freight and passenger cars, but engines as well. Storage can be a problem so I by the plastic containers, the ones with the square sides to store my boxes.
You never know when you might want to sell something, people want original boxes, or if you move. I store everything under the layout, neatly in containers. They are clear and I place the labels out where I can read them through the container wall if I need to retrieve any.
I also keep the foam and paper, even the clear wraping inorder to protect my motive power. I even sometimes use the blue boxes and others to store parts and label them as such. I have a lot of space but not many shelves on the wall so these boxes become important if I need to take some rolling stock off of the layout for temporary storage.
Somebody, someday, will have to dispose of those engines. Best to keep the boxes, not only for packing and shipping, but also because the locos are worth more to someone else with the boxes.
Most of my locos and powered rolling stock came into my possession in kit form. The boxes were compartmented to hold the parts, there was no nice foam cradle and the finished loco was usually an awkward fit in the box - if it fit at all. Even if the model still fit, it was ill-protected from damage.
A few of my locos, all US prototype and all plastic, came in nice boxes. That’s where they spend most of their time, and those boxes still exist. All other boxes have joined the trash/recycling stream.
I keep all my boxes. It’s great because I only have a 4x8 so anything I’m not using or when doing reno to the layout I put them in there to protect from dust and being knocked off the layout. It take a bit because you can really only one at a time otherwise I mix up the plastic holders.
I keep all my loco boxes for storage. If some are too big or do not fit well, I sometimes cut them down - like the old Proto 2000 boxes what displayed the mechanism seprately from the shell (what were they thinking??). I also rework the boxes for steam locos that store the tender in a spearate compartment from the loco. The plugs between the tender and loco are small and I feel they can be damaged by unplugging and replugging too many times. Same thing for my Stewart F3 A-B set that has the sound decoder & speakers in the dummy B unit.
I also keep or make boxes for my custom painted and detailed passenger cars, mainly so I can safely transport them to Boothbay to run them on the museum layout
Keep all the boxes of anything of value. Reason being, god forbid something where to happen, its an easy estate sale to sell your collection for whomever is left behind. They can either sell the collection to a hobby shop that buys estates or on ebay. So for any reason at all, if you ever want to sell, your stuff in the orginial packaging will sell easier and faster.
I keep all my boxes. Partly I’m a pack rat. But I have the room and they sure came in handy 3 1/2 years ago when I moved. Like others, I have no plans to sell anything (and I have stuff in 4 scales plus my son’s N scale).
I just like keeping the boxes. I guess among other facets of this hobby I’m also a Collector - oh the shame of it []
My locomotives are normally on the layout, but I’ve made boxes that can be used for storage or transport, if necessary. Since each box holds more than a dozen locomotives, they wouldn’t be of any use were any individual locomotives to be sold, although none ever will be. Once modified, none will fit in their original boxes, but I may save the box if it’s useful for something else.
Passenger cars have similar storage boxes, but for most, I never had the original box as they were bought used.
Freight cars all have a box, although many are not the original box and some are stored more than one-to-a-box. Having them boxed and identified helps when cycling them on and off the layout at staging yards.
There will come a time when you or a loved one will want to sell them. The perceived and true value of an item “with packaging” is definitely more. In fact, some packaging (pre/post war Lionel) can be worth significant monies.
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