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A comment and a question about train BOXES....

Michael HokkanenMichael HokkanenOGR Forum Member
I have decided that it is high time to take inventory of my train stuff. I am going to store the boxes and in so doing can get the MFG, product number, brief description, and price paid for each item from the boxes themselves.

Do (m)any of you fold your boxes flat for storage? I am going to put theme in a much larger box and take that up into the attic.

Thanks....
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R RailRideOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
I've made a few boxes in my time:


This one is for an MPC auto carrier. I did it by tracing the seams and outlines of one of my original boxes laid out over a large sheet of bristol board. By adjusting some key measurements, one could make similar boxes for a wide variety of rolling stock. I even thought about documenting the process for a potential magazine article, but never got around to it.

---PCJ
[Edit:] restored pic--the photo album I posted it in expired the following day
Last edited by RailRide
B BobOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
quote:
And does anyone know of a source for some generic (black and white) boxes for keeping rolling stock in when not on the layout? I'm thinking there's someone who makes a generic version of the typical post-war Lionel rolling stock cardboard box.

Pat, check out baseball card boxes. They come in different lengths, designed to hold different numbers of cards, and two of them are almost perfect for 40-foot and 50-foot O-scale cars. Card collector shops have them and they should cost 50 to 75 cents each, depending on how many you buy. They are nice and sturdy.
Dave45681Dave45681OGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by Gandalf97:
Just curious... I was thinking about doing something similar and storing my boxes flat but I'm not sure what to do with the inserts. What is your thinking on this? Keep them with the boxes? I may end up using a bunch of plastic totes and not folding up the boxes.


IMHO, any gain form the flattening is lost with the issue of what to do with the inserts, as Eric suggests.

With all the different types of packaging today, it's likely to be a challenge to do anything truly space saving with the inserts.

I suppose if you had a bunch of the same type of rolling stock that had a clam shell insert, you might save a little space if you separated everything and stacked the similar clam shell pieces together. Then if you want to ever put something back in it's box though you either need good notes or good jigsaw puzzle skills to end up with the right solution.

Everyone will have a different answer though.

Hopefully the folks who will tell you to toss them will be able to restrain themselves (so far so good!), as you stated up front you intend to store them.

Good luck with your decision.

-Dave
RussellRussellOGR Forum Member
Michael;
While I do not hold them as investment, I retain the boxes as received (including shipping carton if any) for possible resale.
I have them stacked under the back of the layout with risers to keep them off the floor should it become wet.
This paid well last spring when the water heater gave out.
Lots of water on the floor, a number of other things got wet, but no train equipment or boxes.
I have since then invested in several of the large plastic tubs with solid tops.
I find that filling them without mashing anything and still getting a good fill % can be an exercise in frustration.
If it's filled well the mix is hodgepodge, if they are sorted you get lousy fill.
I need them sorted so I can find items without opening half the containers. And Yes, a good many of my boxes still have the items in them.

Good Luck.
H hielsieOGR Forum Member
Make a list either hand written or in a spreadsheet and tape to container where you can see it and number the box. If you make it in a spreadsheet you can add other info and cross reference what box an item is in. A spreadheet creates a simple train inventory. Some columns I use are Mfg; part number; type of car/loco; date aquired; cost; condition; Description; color; box no of box I put it in; RR; etc. You can sort on any column as well. The find function will let you find an item in a long list to determine which box it is in.
fisch330fisch330OGR Forum Member MEMORIALIZED MEMBER
I, pretty much, have given up on keeping boxes for everything except engines and passenger cars. Took a little deep thinking but I finally have trashed all of my freight car boxes and accessory/building boxes. Amazing how much cubic space that one act has freed up. I'm not sure of the exact account but I would estimate that I have around 300 freight cars. That's a lot of space to be taken up by something I'll probably never use.

And, since doing that, I again have all the storage space under the layout, in the garage and even in our shed out back, again taken up with stuff I "just had to have."

Paul Fischer
Mike BagaasonMike BagaasonOGR Forum Member
This is a very interesting question. I have a large number of empty boxes stored. Currently they have been left in their original shape with the inserts in place. I will experiment with storing the boxes flat with the inserts stacked together where possible.

I will be putting a sticky circle on inserts where necessary to identify where they go.

My storage space is near the ceiling in a garage on a large platform, and is completly full at the moment!

I will try to do this in a timely manner to see if it will be of help to you.
(Likely this comming weekend).

Mike
J JaymarkOGR Forum Member
But if you put the boxes in a separate place (garage, shed, etc.) how to you keep the trains reading to go? I guess my question is to the fellow with 300 freight cars: Where do you keep all of those so they are accessible for use on your layout? (Maybe my layout is too small. :-( I've tried to use boxes from wine that I got at a local liquor store (with the dividers) for quick access, but found all boxes are not uniform in size, so it can be a bit of a hodgepodge. Maybe the solution is to by a couple of hundred bottles of the same wine by the case so all the boxes are the same? :-)
David CaseDavid CaseOGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by Russell:
Michael;
While I do not hold them as investment, I retain the boxes as received (including shipping carton if any) for possible resale.
I have them stacked under the back of the layout with risers to keep them off the floor should it become wet.
This paid well last spring when the water heater gave out.
Lots of water on the floor, a number of other things got wet, but no train equipment or boxes.
I have since then invested in several of the large plastic tubs with solid tops.
I find that filling them without mashing anything and still getting a good fill % can be an exercise in frustration.
If it's filled well the mix is hodgepodge, if they are sorted you get lousy fill.
I need them sorted so I can find items without opening half the containers. And Yes, a good many of my boxes still have the items in them.

Good Luck.


I think Michael made some very good points. He is key on keeping them elevated off of the floor. Do not want to get them wet in the event of an accident. Like he said, I would still keep them in the event you decide you do not want them anymore and want to sell them. You may not now, but what about in a year or more. People are more willing to buy with a box than without. You could continue to box them up or place in large garbage bags and toss in the attic as well. The key no matter what you do is also labeling them if you have to store them away from the layout.

Best of luck.

David
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