How Do You Store Your Excess Rolling Stock?


Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
If you are like many of us, you have extra pieces of rolling stock that isn't on your layout. How do you store these pieces of rolling stock? In their original boxes, in plastic totes or cardboard storage containers designed for this purpose?

Thanks.

Greg
 
The only excess rolling stock that I have is about 90 freight cars that are too early for my era. All of my other 800 cars are crammed into staging tracks or industries all over. The layout remains fluid since I still have six staging tracks in three yards that are open.
Those excess are stored in cardboard boxes under the layout, which is not ever endangered by water unless the roof blows off! I actually still have the original boxes, but I have never taken the time to transfer them since moving from the old train room to the current purpose-built train shed. They are primarily roof-walk boxcars and solid bearing truck cars that weren't worth converting to roller bearing. I.E. Tyco, Bachmann or Lifelike. Some I have given to a younger modeler nearby.
 
If you are like many of us, you have extra pieces of rolling stock that isn't on your layout. How do you store these pieces of rolling stock? In their original boxes, in plastic totes or cardboard storage containers designed for this purpose?

Thanks.

Greg
As I don't have a permanent layout, my collection needs to be mobile. This is how the majority of my cars live. Following a tip from my cousin who does a lot of show events copy paper boxes cut down to an appropriate size. At the minimum size, I can get 12 freight cars in a box. My biggest one holds about 20 86' cars
IMG_20210530_161804561.jpg
Locos live in their boxes. Expensive cars live in their original packaging.
 
I built shelves under the classification for plastic tubs to keep excess rolling stock in. I labeled the visible end of each tub for the types of cars in them, i.e. auto racks, gondolas, flat cars, etc. For each op session I can swap out cars and pull the way bill from the index box when building trains.

20210924_102650.jpg
 
Last edited:
All of my rolling stock are in their original boxes, (or in boxes,) right now. In the advent of building layout 2 point O, I planned on having enough staging so what cars are not running on the layout, will be stored in staging, so I won't have any rolling stock in boxes (stored.) The rolling stock that does not fit the layout, are all in a box destined for sale.
 
With over 65 years-worth of HO scale rolling stock it's a real challenge! Some, including shortened versions of trains go on a display case about six feet long with five shelves. Locomotives go on another case on the opposite wall of the layout room. Some are on a bookshelf in the basement; the rest are distributed in the drawers of plastic storage units under the layout. Just about out of room! As my pike's era is confined to the 1940's to 1960, I haven't been buying much additional rolling stock lately (can't really afford much anyway, nowadays). When swap meets start up again, I will probably start thinning the herd a bit.
 
I built shelves under the classification for plastic tubs to keep excess rolling stock in. I labeled the visible end of each tub for the types of cars in them, i.e. auto racks, gondolas, flat cars, etc. For each op session I can swap out cars and pull the way bill from the index box when building trains.

View attachment 132919


I like this idea....I may have to incorporate this to my current temp layout. Thanks for sharing.

;)
 
Storage of excess rolling stock the last few years has not really been a thought. I stored all rolling stock in the blue rubber bins as I sold off from 300 pieces to 40. That took 5 years. As I rebuild the rolling stock fleet the limit on the layout is roughly 50. I currently have 61 pieces with another 5 arriving Tuesday.

Storage is in 2 rolling storage units next to the bench. I generally do not keep the boxes as I have found it does not affect the selling price unless it’s rare and I have nothing rare.

F6832846-9B90-41C5-AAF3-FD614418DB56.jpeg
F19DB78A-697A-42F6-9407-ED09C61E9C8C.jpeg
D6C7FF7D-6D4B-4BBD-98DF-53A1CF88FCFC.jpeg
 



Back
Top