Transporting model locos and rolling stock

[Blind Bruce]

What are some good ways to transport detailed locos in a car? The boxes that they came in areVERY tight and tend to rub off details and paint.
BB

[doctorwayne]

I make my own carrying cases using corrugated cardboard produce boxes. Tomato boxes are good,(15"L x 111/2"w x 9"h) or pear boxes (20"L x 121/2{"w x 10"h), depending on how many pieces you want to carry. These are two-piece boxes, the lid being a separate but inverted box slightly bigger than the box itself. These boxes are strong and usually have carrying handles cut into the ends. You can get them at any grocery store for free. While you're there, also pick up some large empty cardboard shipping cartons; the ones for cereal or toilet paper are good. Measure the inside dimensions of your future carrying case and using the flattened-out cereal boxes, make trays that will fit snugly into the box. The dimensions should be just slighly less than those of the floor of the box, plus a bit more than twice the height of the equipment you are planning to carry. Cut out this "blank" from the flattened box . With a ruler, measure in from each side and each end the dimension that you wi***o be the height of the tray. Extend all of the lines to the edges of the sheet . Using a utility knife, score around the perimeter of the floor area, right to the end on the long dimension and just in the area between these scoremarks on the end dimension. Cut right through the unscored part at each side of the end dimension. Now fold along the score lines (fold up or fold down, either way works), wrapping the tabs on the ends around the outside of the sides and glue with a hot glue gun. Check the fit of the tray in the carrying case: if it's too tight or too loose, adjust your layout dimensions accordingly and make another one. Use more of the sheet cardboard and your glue gun to partition off the tray to suit your requirements. Make enough trays to fill the box: I use four trays in my pear box carrying cases for passenger cars. I prefer to carry passenger cars on their sides. Each case holds 20 to 24 HO scale cars. I lay the cars on soft paper towels and use loosely wadded facial tissue to prevent the cars sliding in their individual compartments.
For locomotives, I find that it is better to carry them in an upright position. To pack them into the case, I first set them on an appropriately-sized sheet of that smooth, foam-like packaging material (like a thick cloth) that is often use to ship electronic stuff. I don't know what it is called, but it is suitably soft and strong. Grasp the sheet on either side of the loco and lift it in the resultant cradle and then lower into the appropriate place in the shipping tray. This should be a snug fit, just loose enough that the loco will slide into place without being forced. Provide end blocking where required with wadded facial tissue. If you have locos with protruding overwidth, fragile details, like window sunshades, you'll need to customize the tray to suit the situation. If each piece of equipment is snug in its place, and all of the trays are in the carrying box, whether there is equipment in them or not, you will find that this is both a safe and convenient way to move rolling stock or motive power. If you only need to move a single locomotive, you can custom make a box and lid using the cut, fold, and glue method outlined above or you can modify the manufacturers box to suit. The important features are the foam sheet, which prevents the details/paint/etc. from sliding against the cardboard when taking the model in and out of the carrying box, and the fact that the fit between the model and the carrying case is snug enough to prevent unwanted movement in transit. I hope this has been of some assistance.

[Blind Bruce]

Dr.Wayne,
Thanks for a most descriptive reply. I believe that your method will work for me.
BB

[Anonymous]

Bruce,

Depends on the type of model you are talking about. I haven't really found a good way to transport really fine models of cars and locos. Athearn Blue box and the like are pretty robust and can be carried in a variety of ways with little damage. On the other end of the scale are board by board scratchbuilt log cars or side dump gons with all the grab irons and details that seem to be very hard to carry without breaking something. My theory (and one proposed by several old wisened train guys I know) is that these types of models are meant to be transported sparingly, if at all.

At the narrow gauge convention last year in Santa Clara, I worked in the contest room helping people pack stuff up. There were many fine, super detailed models there. Most people went for a variation of Wayne's methods. Most were packing stuff in either tissue or peanuts. I saw lots of locos going back into the original foam boxes and for dioramas most guys built crates that fit over the base of the scene and carried it as a big box.

I personally have used tissue and bubble wrap with some success. I keep all cars standing up. Laying them on their sides breaks grabs etc.....I store rolling stock under the layout in plastic sweater boxes. I cut down copy paper box lids and line them with towel material. These stack in the boxes as trays for the cars. Everything is standing up. Works well for stationary storage, not too good to travel.

Looking for better solutions to this question, last year at an operating session I asked one very fine modeler how he carried his stuff around. He said, "I don't"....

[TBat55]

I recently bought these stackable Peco "Loco Lifts" ($21ea) and love them:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/552-43

You drive on and drive off (my fat fingers bend stuff):

end view inside:

A happy Hudson:

Just put them i a box so they can't roll over.

[johncolley]

I get slightly oversize clear plastic boxes with snap-on lids and line them with the small bubble wrap. I use a sharpie to write contents on the lid.

[Anonymous]

Two observations: 1) watch styrofoam "peanuts" they shed small parts of foam that always migrate to the most inconvenient places like gear trains and motor comutators that can result in prolonged retrival, 2) do not leave the "foam sheeting" in contact with lacquer based paints for too long, it appears that the solvents continue to dry out of the paint and cause break down of the foam material and adhearance of the foam to handrails and other painted parts, not pretty "weathering".
Will

[Anonymous]

I use a pistol case lined in foam to carry my challenger.

[nedthomas]

A-Line makes a Hobby-Tote storage system which is 4 or 5 cardboard trays and spacers that fit in a nylon carrying case. Each tray can holds 16 40' cars. Priced at $99 it is a little salty but so is droping 10 or 12 brass engines. Walthers 2005 Rreference book page 186. MR had some ads a few months ago of a company making just trays for less money.

[Anonymous]

I make travel boxes from 15" pizza boxes and a few pieces of card as dividers. You can fit a lot of wagons into a pizza box!!!

The system works well, even for delicate models, as long as they are not allowed room to move about in the box.

[Eriediamond]

I purchased a plastic tool box, put a layer of 1in soft foam on the bottom, lay trains on the foam with about a half inch spacing another layer of foam trains, foam trains, foam, then the tool tray on top of that that holds a few tools and parts amd lube kit. I do this for getting trains to club and have done this for 4 years now with no damage, even after a club menber knocked it of my pick-up seat accidentally. Number of trains- rolling stock would determine size of tool box needed. When this is full, the tool tray on top lacks about a 1/2 inch of seating in the box so when it is closed there is a little downward pressure to keep everything in place. Ken

[Noah Hofrichter]

I like the Tool Box and foam idea Ken, thanks much for that! I'm joining a Modular layout club soon, and I will need a way to get my equipment to the shows.

Noah