Repacking styrofoam under engines wheels

Nope. Can't be done.

Really, if you're going to pack them away for the year (I don't do this, but...) and

not ship them or the like, just skip it. The styrofoam - most of it - was just there for

shipping anyway. Stuff the hateful little "truck thingys" in a spare hole next to the

loco. They'll be there if you really need them one day.

I concur with ignoring the little pieces for your purpose.  They're just there for protection during the trip from Asia.

I just put them back if I sell a piece.

Alan

I too only have a Christmas layout, so I pack and unpack 9 engines every year.

I have given up completely on even trying to put those protectors back in place.  My thought is that the engines fit so snugly in the styrofoam cradle that they ain't going anywhere.  And, as mentioned, once they are stored away they aren't being moved and jostled around.

Save the aggravation for another task!

- walt

Putting them back "head on" from the end is definitely hard.

I've had luck (but depends on the engine) by carefully pulling the "legs" (look at it like a pair of pants) to the side, inserting the cross piece on the end of the engine and then doing each side by tilting/turning the truck a little and pressing the long pieces in from the edges.

-Dave

I do it as Dave suggests and it seems to work well enough 90% of the time.  I like to take good care of my engines, so do try to replace all the packing materials if I'm boxing them up.

Allan/Dave, right on, I like to take care of my equipment also.  Since I will be creating a lot of dust adding benchwork & running electric lines for lights, the cleaner I keep everthing saves time when I'm ready to roll.

Jack