RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted January 28, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2014 (edited) Superb Rod just the system I want to create myself. Edited February 16, 2014 by gwrrob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted January 28, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2014 Just been looking online for the 10 litre version of the Really Useful box as recommended. Rymans stock them for £8 plus a very reasonable £1.50 p/p or free delivery to a store.If you enter JAN at the checkout you will get a discount. http://www.ryman.co.uk/0161206132/Really-Useful-Storage-Box-10-Litre/Product?t=t&awc=3326_1390933728_24d20b9a85bd0b015132665292b34541&extcam=aff_182717&utm_source=Yieldify&utm_campaign=182717 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 And from the same Ryman site Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted January 28, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 28, 2014 Ner ner nee ner ner. I get 12 in mine Mike. Are you admitting that yours are smaller? Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 28, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2014 Are you admitting that yours are smaller? Cheers, Mick No, mine fit tighter. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted February 3, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2014 First class service received from Ryman online.Ordered another to get 15% discount.I can fit seven locos abreast stored in their locoguard holders nicely.I'll post a photo anon.Thanks for the recommendation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Really useful boxes are just that. I've got books and magazines stored in them in my decidedly damp garage and after several years have seen no sign of deterioration. The only catch is that I also store my rolling stock in them and can count the number of boxes it fills rather too easily I generally buy them from Staples when there's an offer on. I don't know how their prices comapre with Rymans I might get a couple of the smaller 10L boxes to store the stock in immediate use. "It is large enough to store A3 paper, and could also be used as an embroidery box or oil drip tray." not at the same time if you don't want a divorce !! Edited February 3, 2014 by Pacific231G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold nickwood Posted February 4, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2014 I use these 65mm deep stackable Euro boxes and sheets of pluck foam. A google search will find many suppliers. Cheaper than the Really Useful boxes but doesn't have a clip top. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
valeofyork Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 For anyone looking for N-gauge storage, I've found these to be good: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/N-Gauge-Plastic-Storage-Box-Foam-Tray-BLUE-110-/261257645495?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3cd42b4db7 They come with the infill foam pieces, so you can cut these how you wish depending on the size of the rolling stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dread Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 If you work in an office which has a photocopying machine, you could use the cardboard boxes that the paper arrives in. Leave a notice on the machine asking that empty boxes are not crushed but saved for you. I have use these boxes for a good many years now with no problems. Nowadays, being retired I have recruited my son-in-law to keep the supply chain going. Place two vehicles on top of each other and cut the boxes down to slightly more than that height. Then with a stapler, strengthen the box sides and the lid. Cut up a couple of boxes to give you dividers and use a lid with the sides removed to provide the spacer between the two levels. A standard A4 size box will take a MK1 00 coach or three short wheel base vans or two long wheel base hoppers per bay. Each level will take five coaches or locomotives although I always place locomotives on the lower level. Packing out at the ends of each vehicle is done with various sized cubes cut from washing up sponges bought from the £1 shop. Finally I transport four boxes in a folding plastic crate, the most expensive items at £3.99 each. I stick a label on each box and the lid to record the contents. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted February 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2014 20% off vouchers for Hobbycraft in various newspapers currently. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 A question I have..... What are the risks involved with using plastic based foam packing, e.g. long term chemical reaction with plastic models and components ? Also models coming into contact with the plastic containers themselves ? I know that Bubble Wrap is a big no-no, as it can react with RTR models and ruin paintwork etc. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
70E Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 just picked up 10L boxes (look the same as really useful type) in Hobbycraft for £7.60p each over £10 in Staples. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisman56 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 For anyone looking for N-gauge storage, I've found these to be good: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/N-Gauge-Plastic-Storage-Box-Foam-Tray-BLUE-110-/261257645495?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3cd42b4db7 They come with the infill foam pieces, so you can cut these how you wish depending on the size of the rolling stock. I can vouch for these as I have a few of them - four types of inserts available to deal with different lengths of rolling stock, including those with semi-permanent coupling. The retailer does shows as well - have seen him at Bristol and Calne, selling any 3 for £25. Very light and resilient, one fully loaded with Mark 1s one fell from my layout and landed upside-down on the concrete garage floor - when I opened it up they hadn't even moved, let alone suffered any damage. Usual disclamers apply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted February 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2014 A question I have..... What are the risks involved with using plastic based foam packing, e.g. long term chemical reaction with plastic models and components ? Also models coming into contact with the plastic containers themselves ? I know that Bubble Wrap is a big no-no, as it can react with RTR models and ruin paintwork etc. . I use "Fab Foam" for that very reason. Available at Hobbycraft. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ruggedpeak Posted March 12, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 12, 2016 B&Q have a selection of Really Useful boxes in store at the moment with some deals e.g. 2x 18 litres box for £15, 2x 35 litre for £20, 9 litre boxes at £6 each. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 (edited) B&Q have a selection of Really Useful boxes in store at the moment with some deals e.g. 2x 18 litres box for £15, 2x 35 litre for £20, 9 litre boxes at £6 each. Thanks for this. My local B&Q is next door to Staples where I normally buy them when they're on sale (which is pretty often for the 25L boxes I mostly use) The real problem I find with Really Useful boxes is that they make it far to easy to store things in the garage instead of getting rid of them!! Edited March 12, 2016 by Pacific231G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AySea Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Didn't see this thread before, but I've just finished modifying some Peco Loco Lifts to fit inside a Really Useful Box. I wanted something to fit the Loco Lifts because I've got an old N gauge pannier tank (the first engine I owned) where much of the printing on the side has worn off from being put on and off the layout by hand so much. I'm hoping to handle my OO stock much less by using the Loco Lifts, but obviously for storage I needed a box for them to go in. I bought an 11 Litre one on the off chance that it would be the right size for a number of Loco Lifts to go in and found that when placed in lengthways 5 went in okay, but left a lot of space either end. The other way round just wasn't quite wide enough for the length of the Loco Lifts, but by shortening them slightly, a total of 6 Loco Lifts fit. Obviously that's not as much stock as if I went for just using pieces of foam to protect the stock like other people have, but I think it was worth giving a go. Here's a picture, but I've not filled it with stock yet. There's some more info on what I did on my modelling blog if anyone's interested; http://misc-model-mix.weebly.com/blog/unboxed-rolling-stock-storage 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhydgaled Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Most of my rolling stock is currently stuffed in a fairly deep plastic box. Where possible the models are in their original boxes, but sadly I haven't kept the boxes for alot of my older stock so I'm a bit worried the paintwork will get scratched putting the models on top of each other. If they were all in neat indidvidual boxes they would stack more efficiently. I also have recently started building Ratio rolling stock kits, which have a few parts which seem a bit fragile (the wagon I built today especially). Currently, those are in a seperate small box and wrapped in bubble wrap, but that's no good as a long-term solution. So, I've been thinking for some time about building new boxes similar to the Hornby boxes, a cardboard sleve of some kind with expanded polystyrene padding within. We've had some new computers arrive at work recently and some of the cardboard boxes they came out of looked like they could be a good size for two or three coaches (not exactly the individual boxes I had in mind, but any protection for my unboxed stock would be good), so I nabbed them. The problem is what to line them with (presumably, PC boxes are not made of acid-free cardboard, and cardboard alone probably doesn't provide the necessary cusioning anyway). A question I have..... What are the risks involved with using plastic based foam packing, e.g. long term chemical reaction with plastic models and components ? Also models coming into contact with the plastic containers themselves ? I know that Bubble Wrap is a big no-no, as it can react with RTR models and ruin paintwork etc. . I seem to recall reading a number of horror stories about various materials (including some plastics) damaging the plastic and/or paint of railway models somewhere on this forum, but I've lost the topic it was in. That's why I thought I'd better ask what to line my boxes with to keep my models safe (I'm assuming the various card, expanded polystyrene and other plastics (my latest Hornby item has clear plastic rather than expanded polystyrene) are all safe for models to be in contact with?) I did find a PDF online about packing museum peices, which stated that "Plastazote, Ethafoam or Jiffy foam" are 'inert' (which it also said expanded polystyrene is), but it doesn't specifically say whether they are ok for storing plastic items. I use "Fab Foam" for that very reason. Available at Hobbycraft. Mike. Is that safe to be in contact with models? That other topic I lost had some nasty supprises regarding plastics not getting on with each other. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
locomad Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Try "how to store locos when not in use" somewhere it's on this forum, interesting thread myself will not store anything which is in contact with foam or plastic, even the original box can cause damage to stock It's time scale in this hobby, put something in a box for 20 odd years and find the so called foam to protect the model has caused more harm than good, even original polystyrene which was used by a major model railway manufacturer can start to attack models under certain conditions, and time is one of those conditions. Myself cardboard is about the best, even so called acid free paper purchased in good faith, has attacked paint work. Of my stock the ones which have survived the best are those left on the layout, might be covered in a layer of dust, and an odd chip in paintwork, and been used but look better than those in "mint" condition left in a plastic/foam box Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelpara Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I have started using these, takes up a lot less space than the plastic boxes. http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/accessories/8261-wsboo-warley-stock-box-oo-gauge.html 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 22, 2017 Is that safe to be in contact with models? That other topic I lost had some nasty supprises regarding plastics not getting on with each other. When I first started using Fab Foam I asked in Hobbycraft about it's suitability, the assistant went off and, (I assume), did some research somewhere and came back with the answer that it was non toxic, non biodegradeable and stable, it's also approved for use in schools and educational establishments, so there doesn't seem to be a lot wrong with it. None of this proves anything of course, but I've been using it for 10 years or more without problems, and if you are in and out of the boxes regularly with it in you can keep an eye on it. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
locomad Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 None of this proves anything of course, but I've been using it for 10 years or more without problems, and if you are in and out of the boxes regularly with it in you can keep an eye on it. Mike. 10 years, 20 years, then suddenly with warning, it suddenly goes off. Most disturbing example was when I was asked to look at the estate of a gentleman who collected Hornby dublo, many very valuable collecters items without boxes had been stored in very well built wooden trays in a wooden cabinet. The sides were lined with peco track underlay which was popular and ready available in the 60's, it had just gone off, a sticky, oilly green mess, worst still it attacked the paint on super detailed coaches some which were very rare. Effort was made to wash it off but it seriously devalued the stock. Real shame was the original boxes were found flattened, maybe he read some article about acid in cardboard, a few early 3 rail coaches were found in original boxes in perfect mint condition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 22, 2017 Peco underlay is very different to the fab foam. The underlay degrades in relatively short time. I use a mix of bubble wrap, acid free paper and food bags which also shouldn't leach anything. I also swap them for fresh every few years just to be safe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium rab Posted January 22, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2017 Peco underlay is very different to the fab foam. The underlay degrades in relatively short time. I use a mix of bubble wrap, acid free paper and food bags which also shouldn't leach anything. I also swap them for fresh every few years just to be safe Thought I'd read elsewhere on this forum that bubble wrap causes problems. Did I get that wrong? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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