Packing Trains for Moving

lots O bubble wrap and I would pack them myself and NOT label the boxes so the movers don't know whats in them. I have heard stories of stuff disappearing during the move.

bubblewrap is good, dump a layer of those foam "packing peanuts" in the bottom of the empty box. Then I'd put a couple bubblewrapped trains in, dump another layer of peanuts on top. Make sure the trains are like an inch "in" from the walls of the box, that'll give them some wiggle room, should the box be bumped or accidently dropped.

Yea, I'd label the box "basement" or something similar....

All good advice with which I concur; that is if you can't move them yourself.

For my move (overseas)..for the items I did not have the original boxes for, used first a sheet of wrapping paper (unprinted, acid free, newsprint) then twice around with bubble wrap and packed everything as tight as possible in very sturdy boxes.

For customs purpose had to labels each boxes with the exact contents.

Make sure to choose a reputable movers (and not "el cheapo" found on Kijiji.), insurance is mandatory...and everything should roll, sail smoothly.

Reputable movers or not the guys who actually do the work are usually subcontractors who are not bonded. Pack the boxes yourself and do not label the true contents of the boxes unless absolutely necessary.

I wrap trains in craft paper then bubble wrap. The craft paper makes it easy to find any small parts that may come loose during the unpacking. Those small parts can disappear really quick when sprung off a piece of bubble wrap.

Lafondue has it right.  Do not allow the bubble wrap to come in contact with plastic.  It can react.

Packing tightly is the key here. Whether you use foam sheets, bubble wrap, or ordinary newspaper snugness is the key. Use sturdy boxes and pack the trains only in the center leaving at least 1" of cushioning on all sides. Finally shake the packed box to be certain nothing is moving inside.

To trust or not trust the moving company to pack them is a two sided issue; easier to file a damage claim if packed by them (but how carefully will they have been packed?) opposed to being a PBO (packed by owner) box (which you may have packed better), but may not have been handled with care, yet the moving company will try to blame your packing.

One trick here is to use a moving company that has an office at your destination rather than point of departure. That way if you do have a claim you will not be dealing with a company hundreds of miles away, but rather someone local. Also very important to make sure you have adequate insurance. This is best acquired as a rider to your homeowners policy and not in the form of the so-called "insurance" offered by the moving companies. Most national movers self insure, and their insurance is really a protection plan and therefore not regulated by state insurance departments; the result is that you have little recourse (other than hiring an attorney) in securing a settlement for damages from a moving company. Long story here but based on experience.

My other comments are also based on experience, having lived in 12 different places since graduating college 48 years ago. Good luck to you.

jackson

I think it would be a mistake to let movers handle your trains. I know a number of people who have had valuables disappear during a move.

Thanks to the media, there are plenty of folks who think Lionel trains are valuable. They certainly aren't traceable.

My suggestion: pack your trains yourself, and seal the boxes. Do not mark the boxes with the contents, just a number.

If you are moving a short distance, move them yourself, you may need to briefly put them in a storage unit.

Bubble wrap is bad news. If left in contact with your trains for an extended period, it can leave marks in the finish of your trains.

When I pack trains, I put them in a food grade plastic bag. Don't seal the bag, you do not want to trap moisture. If I have a storage box, they then go in the box, if not, they get wrapped in newspaper.

I use generic boxes, lately it's been 800 count sports card boxes. If there is a lot of leftover space, I use some crumpled newspaper to fill it. I was planning to visit a Sports Card shop to pick out some smaller sizes in the next couple of days.

Great info here.

Peter

label it "kitchen" or better yet

label it "religious material"

I have train friends who used baby diapers with the soft side wrapping the train.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Go to an office supply store and buy storage boxes (they are relatively cheap) and pack them yourself in multiple layers of paper (I suggest grocery bags) and bubble wrap and, if possible, transport them yourself to the new location. To me, this is a secure method from going to point A to point B, without breakage, theft or things disappearing.

Wholeheartedly agree with those that advise against bubble wrap directly on the trains.  Wrap the trains with a couple of layers of thin packaging paper and then bubble wrap around that.

Also agree that you should pack & move the trains yourself, along with any other valuables.

Be careful about not identifying the contents of boxes containing train equipment. They have been known not to arrive.

I have one key piece of advice for you.  Do not give the movers anything that cannot be replaced or anything that you would be totally angry if it disappeared or arrived broken.  If you are ok if it never is seen again or ok replacing it or having the movers replace it, then having them move it is fine.  When it comes to my trains, I move them all myself.  And in three major moves I have never disappointed myself.  If at all possible, keep them with you.  BigRail

I'll keep this very long story very short.  We were planning on moving from PA to MA.  This time I planned the layout for easy take down of the tables - almost, but not quite modular.  Packed everything up ourselves and loaded it into a PODS container dropped off in my driveway.  It helps when selling a house to clean up the clutter before showing it.  So we "pre-positioned" the PODS container in storage up in Boston last fall.

Here's the good part - we just had it returned to my driveway in PA to unload!  I decided against the move and job change.  Thank heavens we didn't sell!

On moving trains - do it yourself if at all possible.  I put about 20 full sheets of plywood along with the matching 20 sheets of soundboard and all the legs.  I care not to admit how many boxes of trains and accessories went with it.

Ahh, now back to the pleasure of unloading and starting over.

Good advice, especially on keeping the contents unlisted. I've also been thinking of buying a 5x10 cargo trailer just for the trains as it might actually cost less than the additional costs associated with moving all of them.

quote:

I have one key piece of advice for you.  Do not give the movers anything that cannot be replaced or anything that you would be totally angry if it disappeared or arrived broken.

Good advice! One of the non-train items we moved ourselves was the head (back part) of our pinball machine. If broken, the painted back glass is not replaceable. (finding a replacement would be close to impossible).

I have moved 5 times in the last 20 years and am I now in the process of doing it again. Hopefully for the last time. I have always packed my trains myself used bubble wrap, paper and lots of the shipping peanuts.  I save all shipping peanuts that come to us. I have trash bags full of them.

I mark the boxes for the contents and then have the movers put my boxes in the big wardrobe boxes.  I then mark then for the room they are to go to (I.e. Basement, game rom etc.)

doug

Dear Paul,

Best to do as Medicine Man says: if you value your trains at all and pack them in bubble wrap then in boxes that are labeled then in a PODS container for later unpacking after all of the other stuff like beds and tables are unpacked first.

Best to do it methodically and if you have a multilevel house by color code that way you won't mix up the levels. All boxes were numbered and labeled and we had a chart inside the door on the ground floor and one on the second level.

by way of comparison,  in the seventies, my family moved without doing these basic steps it took two days what could have been done in one afternoon. The boxes weren't numbered either!

My last move (in 1999) was done with a color code system and took the movers 3 hours because it was so orderly. 125 boxes were moved all color coded with minimum expense to 4 levels of my house.

Good luck with your move! Take a breather after it's finished.

Mike Maurice

This is why I try to save most of the original boxes.  I am living in my 15th home and have never had a problem.  If they are packed right, it shouldn't matter who moves them.

Art

As I "rescue" and rebuild many vintage 2 rail O scale items I need alot of boxes. Baseball Card Storage Boxes come in all sizes and are not too expensive if you buy them in 50 box packages. Single piece with the integral fold in lids handle most of the Lionel rolling stock. The two piece boxes are 14 inches long. They even make boxes that have 5 dividers and are 16" long. Just search on Amazon under Baseball Card Storage Boxes. I still think that individual boxes with tissue paper and  cushioning are far superior to just wrapping and stacking individual pieces in a box. Also I always found copier paper boxes with lids to work really well for storage. If possible I would suggest that your very best pieces ride with you if they can. Minimum size box is 660 cards. Always check interior dimensions before buying.

Here's one source  http://www.columbiasportscard....e-of-25_p_20004.html

http://www.columbiasportscard....e-of-50_p_20002.html

For my old unboxed American Flyer S-gauge cars I use white corrugated mailers 10x4x2, wrapping the cars in acid-free paper first, and then labeling the outside of the box.  The boxes are quite strong, and 14 of them will fit in a copier-paper box.  Check out Ebay #300648865754; other sizes are available.

Mark

Are there any issues with using ordinary paper towels to wrap train items, prior to using other packing materials? Being careful to keep it all dry, of course.

quote:

Are there any issues with using ordinary paper towels to wrap train items, prior to using other packing materials? Being careful to keep it all dry, of course.

As I posted above, and in the past, I put my trains in food grade plastic bags (left open) before wrapping them.

I would be concerned with any paper product in contact with the trains. Years ago, a local collector came into some very difficult to find standard gauge trains. Unfortunately, they had newspaper bonded to them. As far as I know, he didn't find a way to remove it.

We are in the same situation. I plan on moving all my train stuff in my own vehicles. More for care than theft worries. Point taken though - get some references and credentials on your movers.