How do you transport your trains to events?

This foam makes it so easy and quick to pack and unpack

 

 

I just now ordered one of the BST boxes for my Lionel Shakespeare Express.  I'll probably order a few more to store my whole fleet in.

This thread now has me repacking all of my O gauge stuff.  I had no idea how much space was being wasted by keeping everything in its original boxes!!!

Here is what I use"

 

I have batting covered by cloth material in each slot. These are the cars and the engine I took to the model railroad club open house today in Memphis. I have six of these containers and two larger ones designed to transport passenger cars and engines. My Lionel IC Berkshire is rapped up in the moron towel at the top of container on the left. The tender is in the yellow towel. I rap my engines when I transport them in these containers in order to prevent any movement.

 

Richard

Richard: I like the idea of using batting! Where do you get yours?

Good old Wal Mart, along with the cloth outer cover and the containers.

 

Richard

I only needed a method to transport my trains to/from our club layout.  I searched but could not find a decent box that met my needs.

 

A few months ago, I posted here that I could not find a storage box. Several users suggested baseball card storage boxes and similar items, along with the BST box.

 

I bought a BST box - hated it. See below.  So, I made my own.

 

NOTE:  I do NOT store my trains in the box I'm about to describe.

 

Since it's a club layout (in a real baggage car, btw...), room to pack/unpack is at a premium, especially if there are any visitors (we open to the public every weekend).  As a result, I didn't want to have to take the time to wrap/unwrap items in cloth diapers or batting as some have suggested.

 

I bought a BST box and hated it. Unless everything you have is Scout-sized, there's only room for about 3 rows of trains.  If you store trains on their wheels, most of them are taller than the box, requiring the lid to rest on the trains, scuffing the tops.

 

So here's what I did.  Our town recently changed from "tub" style recycling bins that are probably about 22 gals to the huge wheeled carts that are 65 gals. They said we could keep the recycling tubs to do what we wanted.

 

Since I had a relatively unused (i.e., "clean") one, I bought some 1/2" foam from the local JoAnn's fabric store. I cut pieces 4.5" tall by whatever length I needed. Since the box has a slight taper, some were 22" long, some were 24" long.  I then glued a piece to each side of a similarly-sized piece of cardboard for rigidity.  I also made a "layer" separator with foam on each side.   This box will store them 3 deep, which is more than enough space for a typical day's running at the club.

Plastic tubs with foam board dividers for cars.

 

Wooden "snack" boxes for engines from Ikea which they discontinued.

I run postwar/postwar style, so not a lot of detail parts to break off.  I usually wrap them in towels and put them in a rolling suitcase

The double layer "Car Box"

 

 

Will hold:

 

6 - 21" passenger cars or

 

12 - 50' scale box cars

 

20 - 40' scale reefers or box cars (dividers removed and cars placed across width) 10   per tray

I like recycling the recycling container

The clearer plastic containers can have condensation issues on rare occasion.

 Personally, I'd avoid them.

 

 Machinists keep their good tools in wood to avoid damage as well as airborne moisture which the wood likes to absorb if it can.

 My Grandfather was a machinist. He kept a block of dry wood in every toolbox and drawer, not just the good stuff.

 That said, IMO, wooden cases, or wood in cases, is the best storage base you can have. Portable or long term.      

It slows temperature changes too. Temp change is a huge part of unseen condensation on our metals.

Laidoffsick:  So where do you find these boxes?  Several guys in the club have them but say that the guy who made them no longer does.  If you have a current source, this would be my first choice as I've seen them up close.  thanks for any info you have....

Carl, sorry I missed your question. That company no longer exists, however I am going to have some made in white, complete with foam. I have to do a minimum order so I will have a few extras. I can usually get my selected trains to the club with 1 engine box and 2 double car boxes.