Loco and Die Cast storage

[Heinz57]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for some ideas to store my locos, stock and die cast road vehcles.

 

I did up until recently have everything stored in their original boxes, but this caused problems. It would take too long to pack/unpack everything, especialy at shows. Plus the boces were starting to get damged from the use. So I went over to using cardboard 'stock' boxes purchased online. These can store 9 locos, or the smaller ones for die cast can store 6 buses or similarly sized vehcles. There are no dividers and items are just wrapped up in kitchen roll. Also, if the boxes arn't full to capacity, items are free to move around. But the problems don't stop there. The boxes themselves are quite flimsy, and damage easy. Plus finer details such as couplings and wing mirrors are getting damaged.

 

This won't do so I'm searching for alternate ideas. What else could I use? I need something that isn't too expensive. But is stronger, will keep items secure so they won't move and won't run the risk of damaging the finer details. Plus getting things in and out of the boxes needs to be quick. And it of course needs to be something transportable.

 

In terms of size, the largest stock items to be stored are Mk3s or the cars of a Class 221 DMU. In terms of road vehcles the largest are my Oxford die cast artic lorries.

 

So does anybody have any ideas of what I could use? I honestly have no idea.

 

Any help is very much appreciated,

 

Cheers,

 

Heinz

[Wherry Lines]

You could either use one of the KR Multicase products (http://www.krmulticase.com/), which I have found to be very good for my N gauge stock (they do OO versions), or you could make your own based on a similar design. If you made each section the correct size for the model it needs to hold, then they would not slide about. Someone on here made their own stock box and lined each section with kitchen roll to prevent damage. I can't remember who it was - but the photo showed a selection of contemporary liveried diesels and may have been in N gauge. The same principle can easily be applied to larger scales. You'll just need a bigger box!

 

*edit*

 

Not the image I was thinking of, but this might be an idea: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/722/entry-8717-new-stock-boxes/

 

 

Type 'stock box' or similar into the RMWeb search box and you should get several results.

[alibuchan]

I have recently made some stock boxes up to fit my N gauge stock in to.

 

They are a sheet of corrugated card cut to the size of my flight cases that I previously used.

 

I then created an outside wall of fairly dense foam board to give it some strength and then made individual spaces for everything. Where I had multiple items i also put a strip of the foam board in to provide a base for the next tray to sit on without having it sag in the middle, as you can see in the 2 photos below.

 

 

 

I can get 3 trays in to each box and i now only have to take 3 boxes insted of the 7 that were perviously being carted around.

 

I also incorperated some gaps in to the boxes for the stock that I was planning to buy to create longer trains (the white gaps in the top picture)

 

Alistair

[Wherry Lines]

This is the image I was referring to earlier. Again, it is N gauge, but the same idea could easily be applied to a larger scale

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/50172-banbury-in-n-scale/page__st__500#entry789971

[Heinz57]

Thanks chaps, thats given me plenty to think about.

 

I like the idea of using a sort of 'flight case' with trays made of card and foam.

 

@Alistair, where did you get the packing boxes/cases from? And can I also ask the best place to get foam?

 

Cheers,

 

Heinz

[alibuchan]

I think the cases came from B&Q but were about £20 each, the really useful boxes would also do the same job as they are quite strong.

 

The foam I used were from a left over sign that I had produced for a job that wasnt needed it is quite a bit more dense than foam board so un fortunately I cant help with that one. A place like hobbycraft might be your best bet.

 

Alistair

[newbryford]

Ali mentions the "Really Useful Boxes". I generally pick mine up at Staples, but other outlets are available, such as Hobbycraft and The Range.

http://www.staples.co.uk/SearchEngine-really+useful+boxes

 

For 4mm stuff, I find the A4 sized 4.5litre and 9litre boxes to be the best.

 

For foam, search your local yellow pages or similar. Near to me is a supplier on an industrial estate, that will cut to order and it's quite reasonably priced.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Butler Henderson]

I also use 4 litre Really using boxes with foam dividers. Prefer to keep locos in their original boxes between shows but a week or so before one will check them and put them in the 4 litre boxes. 9 litre ones will take two sets of stock, one on top of the other, so could have a use with less fragile stock.

[Heinz57]

Thanks again chaps!

 

I'll have a look around at B&Q and Staples and I'll see what I can find. I'll also have a look at Hobby Craft if they may also have some foam.

 

Cheers

[Butler Henderson]

For die casts (cars in particular) have a look for N gauge foam wagon trays (often being sold on Ebay) - they are quite useful for arranging the cars in a 4 litre really useful box.

[Tel2010]

Hi

I did something similar with foam core and boxfiles, here is link to my version.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/58638-cheap-homemade-loco-liftstorage-cassete/page__fromsearch__1

 

Tel

[Heinz57]

Thanks chaps.

 

There is a Home Bargins store next door to where I work, they always have a large selection of plastic storage boxes, and other storage ideas. I'll nip in on my break one day and have a look what they have to get an idea. But I realy like the idea of using file boxes, they're cheap and being square around the edges and bottom (as opposed to the slight curge you get around the bottom edge and corners of plastic boxes) it'll be easy to make the dividers.

 

Sorry about the lateness in my reply