HO Gauge long term storage

[Uuno]

This is my first post. I need to store a large HO train collection that formerly belonged to my father. I need help with the best way to store the engines, cars, track, and accessories.
There are a number of steam locomotives that were very expensive to buy that have been for display only. I would like to know the best way to prep these for long term storage. Do they need to be oiled or treated in any way?? One of my neighbors mentioned wrapping each individual piece in newspaper to help avoid moisture.
One UNION PACIFIC locomotive (4000) is 17 inches long with the tender.
The actual layout covers three 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, and there is another single layout that covers one 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. I would like to break down the three sections, and store them as intact as possible. There is also a large amount of loose track, and other assorted buildings, switches, etc that needs to be dealt with.
I am also looking for any sort of price guide to find out what some of these locomotives are actually worth.
Any and all help will be most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Selector]

In an ideal world:

Clean every last bit of lubricant of any kind, and any contaminants, from all surfaces...no matter where it migrated to and where it was initially placed.

Secondly, place the item in a quality plastic bag, evacuate the bag, and then fill the bag with nitrogen. Seal it to the extent possible.

After that, store them in a safe place where it is relatively dark, cool, and dry. The fridge would be ideal.

Two-hundred years from now you could set them on the counter to warm to room temperature, and then take them out of the bag and lubricate them. They should run like tops.

Okay, back to reality....clean and lubricate them as best you can with clean products, and then wrap them in clean tissue paper or paper towels that are acid-free. I use auto-transmission fluid for lubing my steamers, and have had great success so far. Insert the items in plastic zip-locs with a handful of dried rice thrown in to keep moisture at bay. Tape the top of the bag shut with foil tape of the kind used in clothes dryer venting kits. If you can purge most of the air out of the bags before sealing them, say with a straw and quick hands, you should be able to stuff the items back into their original foam containers in the cases of engines, and then back into their boxes. Might be tricky to do this, though, as they are generally a very snug fit without the rice and plastic. But that would be about the best you can do.

 

[UP2CSX]

In addition to Selectors advice, I'd wrap every piece of rolling stock in bubble wrap first. The prevents damage when the storage boxes are moved or accidentally dropped. Keep any boxes the locomotives came in separately. You'll likely not be able jam them back in the boxes without destroying some detail parts. The boxes are important if these are true collectors items since the original box alone can be worth 10% of the price of the locomotive.

Assuming these are brass engines, you can check e-bay for any sales of the same model to see what they bought. You can also contact a large brass dealer like Caboose Hobbies in Denver and have them give you some bids. You'll need to know the maker and model number of each item and preferably have a photograph to give a decent idea of condition.

As far as the layout itself, unless you have a large storage building, trying to save something that large for many years is a lost cause. The dust, mold, and general level of critter damage will reduce their usefulness to about zero, as well as take up a lot of space. I'd strip the track if it's easy to remove and any structures that are in good shape. The scenery materials like trees might be worth saving but they tend to dry out an get pretty crappy looking over the years so they usually aren't worth the effort.

The loose track, structures, and an any rolling stock should be stored in bubble wrap and then inside secure plastic storage boxes. The stackable ones make it easier to store more things in the same place. Attach a label to the outside of each container with the contents and cover the label with sealing tape so it doesn't fall off. It will really help when someone has to go through all this years from now and not have to dig through each container.

I know this isn't easy since I'm sure your father was quite a model railroad buff but I'd cut up the plywood and dispose of it. If there's a model railroad club in your town, you can try offering it to them first but very few people want the base of someone else's model railroad.