Storing your prized models

[chessie system fan]

I didn't know that. How pricey is pricey?

I agree about the 3D printed nests. That's why I haven't done any yet. I do wonder about the press idea (or vacuforming?). Could it be as simple as making a bottom 3D mold and a top 3D mold, heating it in the oven with plastic sheet between them, and them mashing the mold halves together?  The other option would be buying an expensive machine. The local makerspace has what I'd need, but it would be a substantial investment in usage fees to use it.

[peteski]

I didn't know that. How pricey is pricey?

I agree about the 3D printed nests. That's why I haven't done any yet. I do wonder about the press idea (or vacuforming?). Could it be as simple as making a bottom 3D mold and a top 3D mold, heating it in the oven with plastic sheet between them, and them mashing the mold halves together?  The other option would be buying an expensive machine. The local makerspace has what I'd need, but it would be a substantial investment in usage fees to use it.

The large boxes (for 89' flats and passenger cars)  are $4.95 each  Part# 98409003
Medium boxes (for hi-cube boxcars) are $4.15 each Part# 98409002
Didn't get any of the small boxes. The part number is probably 98409001

If you are planning on calling and ordering them, having part numbers handy will speed things up.

Not sure how the male/female mold would work for forming heated thin plastic. It is an interesting idea if they can be kept aligned well.  There is info on the Interwebs on how to make inexpensive vacuforming machines.  Maybe you could 3D print a vacuforming buck.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The Crafsman has done a bunch of videos using various media to make figures and stuff.
I'd imagine some of the techniques would also be applicable to making cradles.

If you haven't watched him, I highly recommend working through his back catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCrafsMan

[crrcoal]

Why these instead of Sterilite bins? More durable or ....?

Samla boxes in action

(Attachment Link)

[PiperguyUMD]

Protecting the details during storage, transport AND removal of the model from the storage vessel without destroying the details - I well understand the problem.
My solution:




Creating the lift out cradle was my AH HA moment.  It works well for rolling stock too of course.  As you can see, only the finest cereal box cardboard will do.  It's kind of a fun exercise too.

@SAH This is a cool idea! I like that the model is sitting on its wheels rather than its side. Im going to mess around with this over the weekend!

[SAH]

Storing the model wheels down helps limit the op for damage for sure.  As you can see the box needs a height extension but I've started building it into the cradle, as shown with the tank car box.

A word of caution:  I recall posting these photos a few years back for a similar request.  There was push back concerning the "foam breaking down and damaging the model".  All I can tell you is I've been making storage boxes like this for 30+ years and have never encountered damage from degrading foam.

[peteski]

Some foams (as it is well known from the brass models days), will disinterested after several years,  resulting in sticky crumbly mess.  But other foam is totally unaffected.  However it is pretty much impossible to tell by looking at or feeling the foam, which is the stuff which will last.

Over the years of working for computer companies I have accumulated a stash of the discarded gray foam used to package computer boards or peripherals like disk drives.  All that foam remains stable, even after 20+ years.  I would think that foam  bought at a fabrics or upholstery stores (foam used in to stuff pillows  or furniture cushions) should be safe to use for long term storage.

As for vertical storage of models, sure that's a good idea, but I have also never seen any brass models (with lots of very fine and delicate details attached to the shells) to be shipped from Asia to U.S. to be packaged stored vertically. I have several brass models packaged stored laying down (conventional way) and over the years no damage has occurred to them by me removing them from the foam cradle. So to me either method should be quite safe to choose. My custom-made model packaging uses the conventional horizontal storage method.

But I have also noticed that many factory made model locos stored horizontally often ooze out the excessively applied lubricants (oil grease) which the shows up on the bottom of the stored model's shell and even stains the bottom of the foam cradle.

So take your pick. Chocolate or vanilla. 

[MK]

Some foams (as it is well known from the brass models days), will disinterested after several years,  resulting in sticky crumbly mess.  But other foam is totally unaffected.  However it is pretty much impossible to tell by looking at or feeling the foam, which is the stuff which will last.

THIS!  I have foam that have disintegrated over the years.  No rhyme or reason other than the ones that break down seem to be used for "cheap" items.  Nothing for electronics, optical, etc.  It's a common problem with vintage speakers that have their surrounds break down over the years.  Plenty of places out there that sell replacements for DIY repairs.  I've done it for a few of mine.

https://www.simplyspeakers.com/speaker-foam-repair-new-edge-it-kits.html

What?  No strawberry Peteski?   

[peteski]

What?  No strawberry Peteski?   

Ah, you're one of those, eh?!   
Actually my favorite is either "death by chocolate" or "raspberry swirl truffle".   

[wm3798]

The only models I've seen packaged wheels down are the old MRC Berks and RSD15s with the plastic "track" base and the insert that was supposed to hold them in place.  Slidey clippy things were separate castings that were designed to hold it all together.  These, of course, are easily lost, and hard to come by replacements.



Not nearly as secure as a foam cradle.

Lee

[trainforfun]

The KATO jewel boxes are $7.00 with imperfection they say

[HansKuster]

Hi,
for bigger engines, for which the Kato jewel boxes are too short, I print my own boxes.
I downloaded a generic box which can be size adjusted as needed: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2594893
Then I take a picture of the engine from as far as possible to reduce parallax errors.
In Blender I place the scaled picture in the box and add the needed supports.

After printing, the touching points of the engines to the box will be cushioned by a thin foam, usually used as packaging foam.
This can be done with free software (www.blender.org and www.openscad.org)

Regards, hanskuster

[robert3985]

Ah, you're one of those, eh?!   
Actually my favorite is either "death by chocolate" or "raspberry swirl truffle".   

I'll second the "death by chocolate" preference! YUM 

Haven't tried "raspberry swirl truffle" yet, but I'll have to give it a go!

As for what to store and transport my models in, I keep my engines in their original boxes if possible...particularly my brass engines since having the original box in good condition contributes significantly to their resale value.  And my non-brass locomotives get stored and transported usually in their original boxes too, with cut-outs for added parts, particularly sunshades, marker lamps, & other details that poke out from the sides and are fragile.  Wrapping engines that have added details in extra-thin plastic or rice paper also goes a long way towards preventing damage during insertion or extraction...which for me, is where the vast majority of damage occurs...not during actual transport...and over the years, I've only dropped three engines, all of them without being in their respective boxes.

Early on, for convenience' sake at Ntrak shows, I'd take my rolling stock out of the original boxes and put them into empty cigar boxes I got from one of the club members who owned a cigar shop/bar in town.  Of course all those cars in each cigar box didn't fit perfectly so I used quality foam inserts to fill in the empty spaces and where the couplers would bear against the sides of the cigar box.  This worked pretty well until I dropped a box onto the parking lot while setting up at a show...most of the damage was repairable, such as broken MTL couplers, running board ends and wheels coming out of truck sideframes.  Luckily, I had a big rubber band wrapped around each box, so the lid stayed closed.

After about half a dozen of my cigar boxes started developing a fungus (along with the cars stored in them) during long-term cigar-box storage, I decided that I should probably keep my rolling stock in their respective original boxes, for ease of transport and get rid of the offending fungus infested cigar boxes.  Interestingly, the fungus only appeared in one brand of cigar...the rest of the boxes didn't have that problem...so, I still have a lot of cars in cigar boxes since the original jewel-boxes got lost somewhere in the several moves I made over the years.

Lately (for the last 15 years or so), for cars that don't have the original jewel boxes, I'm storing them in small semi-transparent tackle boxes I bought at WalMart several years ago.  These seem to be custom-made for 40' boxcars, hoppers, gons, (no High-Cube cars) of my 1947 thru 1956 era and I don't use any foam inserts in them because the tolerances are so close.  These were made by "Plano Molding Company" here in the USA, who was purchased by "Pure Fishing - Baird" in 2021, but products are still sold under the Plano name.  However, after attempting to find identical small tackle organizer boxes at WalMart again a year or so ago, it became evident that what was available now is very different than what was available six years ago or so, so I didn't get any small tackle organizer boxes.  I have since gone to the Plano website to see if that original model number is still available, but things have changed and the model number isn't listed any longer. It appears the "Adjustable Stowaway 3400 model# 34500" from Plano here: https://www.planooutdoors.com/collections/tackle-storage/products/adjustable-stowaway-3400?_pos=2&_fid=cf3f0c75a&_ss=c  might do the trick with its adjustable compartments.  I won't guarantee it, because I can't see exactly how the compartments adjust.

I did a bit of looking for other jewelry boxes, small parts boxes and other tackle organizer boxes and there are plenty of them available, although none that I found have the same outer and inner dimensions of the ones I like so well.

So, it would be worth looking for some that might fit the bill for the style of N-scale cars you have.  Just measure their dimensions on a small file card and stick it in your wallet to have as a reference, and take a small tape measure with you.  I always carry a small 12' Stanley tape measure with me in case I need to stop and document something that relates to model railroading...as well as a pen and little spiral notebook to write things down on.

Photo (1) - Small Tackle Organizer Box used to carry N-scale freight cars with compartments being 1.25" tall X 3" long X 15/16" deep. Perfect for 40' standard height boxcars with MTL talgo couplers & trucks:


I have other tackle organizer boxes that are a bit larger and hold 6 cars, but aren't quite wide enough for 50' cars.  These I use foam and bubble-wrap inserts to immobilize the cars so thay don't slam around when transporting.

Photo (2) - Larger Tackle Organizer Box (with smaller box for comparison) with foam and bubble wrap inserts:


These work well for my cars that don't have their original boxes and also assist me to keep my cars organized as to type and road when setting up at home or at a show.  Setting up and breaking down are much quicker using these boxes rather than the original boxes, but I still use the original boxes most of the time for storage and transportation.

Maybe these ideas and type of product will be useful to some of you.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[wm3798]

My other secret weapon...


VHS boxes.  You have trim the spool keepers off but they work like a charm.



Lee

[MK]

What about the side to side rubbing?