Rolling Stock Storage??

[GrandTrunkFan]

I was wondering what some of the guys on here do for storing their rolling stock. I got mine literally lying all over and my pile on the workbench grows with repairs that need to be made from sitting. Common sense would be to save boxes, but that takes up a lot of room. I keep my commonly used equipment on the model railroad itself but for cars I rarely, if ever, use anymore, I dont know where to put them. Im looking for space friendly ideas. Thanks!

[Ypsi]

Felt/ carpet lined storage drawers, they work really well. Just have to lay there cars on their sides

[Ben Higdon]

The most fragile cars I'll put in car boxes, but most of the cars I'll wrap in a paper towel and carefully pack into paper-ream size boxes. Never had any breakage with that method. Normally I keep all the active rolling stock on shelves that I put in the basement. Very easy to make...8 ft 1x8 boards supported by three brackets each.

[GP9R]

Sounds like you need a bigger layout

[GLC 392]

I second Cam's statement, time for a bigger layout!

[Saturnalia]

I'd never be able to operate a model railroad without a large yard.....easy storage!

[Ypsi]

Felt/ carpet lined storage drawers, they work really well. Just have to lay there cars on their sides

This works for me...

Untitled by YpsiAmtrakBoy, on Flickr
I have about 5 shelves filled like this and form my about 25 passenger cars

Untitled by YpsiAmtrakBoy, on Flickr
Just some old towels between passenger cars

[rteusink]

I prefer the Axian Technology cases:

http://www.axiantech.com/ModelRR.html

Not cheap, but then again if you're protecting a significant investment already . . .

Bob Teusink
Milwaukee, WI

[sd70accsxt700]

Purchased a bunch of those when I worked at Riders. Not impressed. The foam on the top of the box presses down so hard, that if you are using them to transport back and forth from house to show, or club layout, it compromises the carbord "hinges" to the pont that after six months and cases wont stay closed and pop open. Also if using them for storage of cars, you need to put something between the foam and the cars, as the foam will stick to the cars, because of the mentiond pressure, and when you open the box cars will "fall" down from the lid.

[GAP]

I've managed to acquire several boxes that computer keyboards came it. They are approximately 2" x 10" x 24" with flip-up tops. The cars lay on their sides and all are completely visible, not buried under another layer. I keep boxcars in one, gondolas in another, etc, so its easy to find the car I happen to be looking for.

[Racer]

I saw a youtube video awhile back of this modeler that did a unique way of storing cars for staging on his layout. He built a ferry loading area to actively put freight cars onto a ferry that actually was a tray designed to look like a ferry, but in reality was a tray that he could swap with other sets of freight cars as staging, then he built a cabnit that he could stack multiple ferry/ trays over each other and yet protected the cars. Maybe you could incorporate an idea like that.

[esprrfan]

For the ones I don't have the boxes to I use the cardboard "flat" that you would carry 4 6 packs of canned pop in.

[Garry K]

I prefer the A-Line Hobby-Tote system for transporting locos and rolling stock to and from train shows. http://ppw-aline.com/hobbytote.htm. You get to stand cars on their wheels (or roofs) on a thin layer of foam (so you won't break off side details), and they have foam dividers to place between cars to keep their couplers from banging into each other. I own two nylon carrying bags; one has four "high" boxes (suitable for autoracks and hi-cubes, also keep locos in them), the other has five "low" boxes (suitable for "regular" height cars). The box lids are high enough so they don't exert pressure on the tops of cars, not even when they're stacked.

At home, I store excess cars in their original boxes if I can, else wrap them in a couple of paper-towels before placing them into Rubbermaid Rough Tote containers.

Garry K

[Dan M]

Wrapping them in paper towels are a must if storing in a cardboard box. Placing tissue between cars is a must as well. I just opened up all my boxes of cars from when I packed them away over four years ago. I was amazed at the amount of couplers broken from NOT cushioning the couplers with something soft between cars.

I just finished building a wheeled chest for storage of cars while off the layout. This chest will fit under the benchwork. I used 3/4" ply for most of the construction, with 1x4 pine, some oak, and 1x12, and other board to complete the chest. It also will double as a mobile work area in the train room with the casters on it. It will also fit between my isles when they get built. It has five drawers with four of them using cabinet drawer hardware for easy roll out.




I plan on putting felt on the drawer bottom to prevent the cars from rolling and also help be more gentle on the cars that will be on their side. I'd put a materials cost on this of just around $80 or so. I also plan on using the sides for storage of tools, etc. Once the layout is done, many of the cars will come out and I'll use it for tool and part storage. I may make a fixture for a work lamp to be attached.

Dan