Collection boxes finishing touches

[locomad2]

26 minutes ago, GoingUnderground said:

I know that Hornby believed that they were offering a quality product that was, in their eyes at least, superior to the opposition, notably Lines Bros Triang Railways, and they probably thought that it justified model-specific boxes. But they do seem to have been blind to the cost implications of the lack of standardisation on packaging, something that Lines Bros were particularly good at in the 1950s and early to mid 1960s. And the Hornby O Gauge and Dublo product numbering always seemed particularly impenetrable to me, but then I'm not a Meccano-Hornby expert.

 

The Triang DA loco box was one that "grew" as the original DA was the right size for the EM2 and Class 31, but was too short, just, for the Class 37 and the box had to grow to accommodate it. I think that the shorter DC 0-4-0/0-6-0 sized box might also have gone through a similar enlargement. The DC box was used for other products too, the double track overhead gantries were packed in DC boxes.

 

Today, the packaging has, IMHO, grown out of all proportion to the size of the contents, and I'm not totally convinced of the benefit derived from the extra padding. I know there is far more delicate detail on models nowadays, but do get concerned that it is all to easy to break the smallest parts off in the struggle to get the model out of the packaging or sometimes just even picking it up off the track, which makes me wonder if we have gone too far down the "super-detail" route.

 

 

Having started making boxes some 50 years ago, I can understand why they had so many different boxes, I myself made all kinds of specific boxes mainly to reduce waste space and save cardboard. Meccano had after the war had to deal with austerity, everything was in short supply including paper to make cardboard, so you made the smallest box as possible.

 

Make a standard 5 inch long box then you waste quite a few square inches putting in 4 inch stock, ok doesn't sound much and ok for small collections but as collection grows space becomes an issue.

 

Manufacturers boxes started to change in the early 70's, the box also became a display case in the cabinet at model shops plus using foam I assume easier to pack, protect more detailed models etc etc, and the boxes became bigger. I myself hate them some are very differcult to get the model out without breaking, foam degrades, plastic inners crack and they take more space.

 

In an 1/2 cubic foot box I can get 45 Hornby dublo standard 4 inch wagons Van's etc, more if they are coal or low side, in the box. I'am lucky to get 20 mainline wagons from the 70's in same size box

[andyman7]

I now use acid free tissue as a default on anything that needs wrapping or padding to fit inside a box. Even if further padding is needed (foam or whatever) the tissue forms a barrier to unintended effects.

In terms of original packaging, the most disastrous has to be the foam packing for Triang locos used between 1962 and 1967. In the rare cases that an unopened or untouched item is found - a situation that would normally be the collectors' holy grail - a full scale conservation effort is normally required to extract and rescue the contents. 

[Il Grifone]

On 01/03/2021 at 10:29, Il Grifone said:

AFAIK the first Dublo coaches to receive plastic wheels were the crimson/chocolate and cream restaurant cars and wagons started with the SD6 series about the same time (the grain* wagon in 1958 IIRC). The very first BR(W) coaches for the 'Castle' (late 1957) had metal wheels. Not currently having access to my 'bible', I'd have to fight through on-line Meccano Magazines for the date. If the distaff side doesn't find me something to do (small chance), I might....

 

* I can remember rushing to our local toy shop with 6/9d in my hot little hand to exchange for one. The shop owner said he had been expecting me!

 

A give away as to whether a model was originally 2 or 3 rail could be the number, though Hatton's did sell them swopped around. (Says he who has a 3 rail D8017!)

 

Finally I got around /remembered to look through the Meccano Magazines. The grain wagon first appears in the February 1958 issue advertising pages, with more details in the March issue.

http://meccano.magazines.free.fr/html/1958/5802/5802bn20.htm