How to store trains

[Deeker]

I have just recently been able to start to running my trains on a temp. layout while I am waiting for my addition to my home.  I am wondering how everyone keeps there trains stored.  I have about 20 cars out of their boxes and a few engines.  I don't want to keep putting them back into their boxes and damage them.  How do you all store them/protect your train items while you are not running them?  thanks for any suggestions.  D

[dknelson]

I have some ideas about what NOT to do, based on personal experience or that of my friends.

Even though some trains come from the source or factory in foam rubber packaging, which certainly does a nice job of protecting them from transit damage, long term I have seen foam rubber do terrible things to model trains.  Perhaps the lubricants release a gas or something that makes the foam rubber "melt" and disintegrate onto the surface of the trains over time.  But for very short term purposes, perhaps foam rubber in the base of a box of some sort (such as a shoe box) would protect your trains.

Another idea that seemed to have promise at the time did not work out well for one friend.  He bought these plastic cabinet units on casters -- 3 or 4 vertical cabinets, all plastic, that you could wheel around -- to hold his cars and engines when not on the layout.  To protect the models he bought some of this cross hatched looking rubbery stuff that you put under rugs to keep them from slipping on a wood floor, and he'd lay the cars on their sides on this stuff.  It worked in the sense that the cars stayed put, but what he found is that they too leached a bit of rubber or coloring onto the side of the car -- and this did not take all that long to do, either.

However I think he was on to something with those inexpensive plastic cabinet units on casters, but instead of the sticky webbing to hold the trains, I wonder about just coating the bottom of each shelf with cheap felt, maybe the self adhesive kind.  And I'd keep engines separate from cars because engines might leak a little lubricant.  In fact for engines maybe wood with the proper gauge scribed into it so the flanges keep the engine in place. 

Dave Nelson

 

[gap920]

I store my trains on open plastic shelves with 1/4 inch plywood strips set to the right gauge.  Position the strips at right angle to the shelf so the cars are at right angle to the shelf.  This allows 9 cars up to 55 scale feet long to sit on each shelf.  Longer cars can use the strips alligned lenthwise.  The strips keep the cars from rubbing against each other.  Slope the shelves slightly lower toward the rear and gravity holds them against the back of the shelf.  I cut off the tubes/posts to clear the tops of the cars.  I can get 4 or 5 layers under the train table and up to 12 layers against an empty wall.  This does not protect them against dust or from mildew in a musty basement. 

Bubble wrap or styrofoam would be a better bet than foam rubber for storage in boxes or plastic containers.  This stuff works for both storage and shipping.  If you order things that ship via USPS,UPS,FedEx, etc, they may be sending you packaging resources! 

[Mr. S.]

 Hi,

 To be honest I've been storing my postwar Lionel engines in ziplock storage and freezer bags (unzipped) inside trunks with some of those silica gel packs thrown in the trunk (maybe 5-10 per trunk) for 15 years now.  I store the engines, unboxed, wrapped in cotton rags with the same silica packs thrown in.  Or sometimes I have stuff wrapped up just in brown paper bags.

I have Williams engines and passenger cars in their original boxes with that black foam or styrofoam as shipped, but I put those in the open ziplock bags before I seat them back in the foam.  Don't know what I'll do over time for those, I've seen that black foam break down and powder eventually.

I pull stuff out of there to run on my small layout or a friend's layout.  The trunks have always been in a good climate, no damp basements or anything.  In fact, out of 15 trunks of stuff, I've never seen any ill effects from storing trains like this long-term.

Of course on the cheap or easy, one can't beat shoeboxes, replica storage boxes, or like I said clean cotton rags or terry cloth towels.

[TRAINCAT]

I am storing my trains wrapped in white tissue type wrapping paper found at drug stores and put inside large Rubbermaid airtight containers. Bubble wrap can do damage to painted surfaces. If you want to use it, wrap your trains in something else first.

Rob

[servoguy]

 I wrapped quite a few things in newspaper back in the early '80s, and had no problem with the news paper.  Foam rubber is definitely not good.  Anything that is soft plastic should probably be avoided as it will disintegrate over time. 

Bruce Baker

[servoguy]

 If you are in an earthquake prone area, make sure your trains don't end up in a pile on the floor if there is an earthquake.

Bruce Baker

[dougdagrump]

Large plastic tubs, not the air-tight variety, and wrap the rolling stock in plain ol cheap tea towels or bar towels, not the frizzy terrycloth style, that you can get at "Big Lots" or Dollar Stores. If they pick-up dirt or oil/grease just toss them in the washer, between courses of cars I use a piece of 1/8th temperboard or something similar as dividers between layers. The cars themselves are laid on their side except for maybe the very top layer, just to try to maximize storage capacity and not put stress on trucks & springs. The tubs are stored in the house, no garage or attic storage.

 

[RockIsland52]

I'm a cotton towel and t-shirt guy too. 

I know some might be reticent to use air tight containers, but with the silica packets the problems with trapping humidity in can be mitigated.  Same with the zip lock bags.  A buddy of mine asked me what I used to store my trains since his were in cardboard boxes in his basement.  Then he did nothing.  A 11 inch rain plus a power outage = no sump.  He found his trains under water.  I volunteered to help him cean up.  It was depressing, but we got things ironed out over time.

When it comes to my trains, I commandeered a closet on the second floor for items stored.  Even though my attic is empty!  And I have attic storage over my garage, also empty.  Temperature extremes is something with which I have had no experience and don't want to find out the hard way.

Jack.