locomotive transport case

[Modeltrains2021]

hi there was wondering what you guys use to transport your locos to train shows currently i am using a old rolling lap top case for my locos but have ran out of room and need something better to transport them to train shows and cub.
thank you.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I use a plastic tub I bought at WalMart years ago. I put a towel in the bottom of the tub then use strips of cardboard as separators for the rolling stock and locos. When the lower level is full, I put a sheet of corrugated cardboard over that along with another towel then fill in the second level. The cardboard strips are just a little higher than the tallest rolling piece so the second layer of cardboard lays on the lower cardboard strips. The tubs are about 2' long and about 3 or 4 inches deep.

 

[Modeltrains2021]

thats a good idea

 

[glenng6]

I purchased some storage trays from Michaels, a few years ago. They are stackable, the lids are hinged and snap locked. I happened to catch them on sale and got a dozen of them for 70% off. I made dividers using foam core board and fold paper towels to act as buffers, while transporting. I divided each box into 7 slots, which eliminates side to side shifting.

Lid Closed

Lid Open

 

[RCH]

I do something similar to Glenn for my freight cars, but for locomotives I use the Plano 3730 tackle box. I get mine at Academy Sports which is just down the street from me. They come with dividers that make it easy to size the compartment for different size locomotives. The locomotives sit down inside the compartments without any of the roof details rubbing the lid. In fact, the compartments are deep enough I went back and installed some thick weatherstrip material inside the compartments to give the bottom of each locomotive some cushion. I use some foam sheets I got from an office supply store as a cradle so I can pull the models out or lower them down inside the compartments without having to reach in and grab the models by the sides.

It didn't take long before I had several of these Plano 3730 boxes and wanted to put them in a larger box, especially since I store my models in my garage where the temperature and humidity can fluctuate wildly. I discovered that six of these Plano boxes will fit inside a 62 quart Weathertight box from The Container Store, though I'm sure any large bin would work as well. After dealing with flooding and storm damage in the past, I went with the weathertight boxes.

 

[skyliner]

Here's a tip, if you are looking for inexpensive foam or foam rubber to line boxes-- check if there are any furniture re-upholstery or repair shops nearby. They often have scrap foam around with which they may part for free or for a small fee. You can then cut it however you need. Several years ago I needed to move my plastic model collection to a new house and I built a number of boxes to hold my various airplanes and vehicles. It would be easy to do something similar for locomotives and rolling stock.

Ha, I actually found a picture of one I took back then:

 

[Greg@mnrr]

I use the cardboard storage boxes made by A Line - Proto West. A bit expensive, but they protect the models.

Greg

 

[Modeltrains2021]

thank you for the great ideas going to use a weather tight storage container.

 

[RCH]

Eric, that's a brilliant solution for transporting those aircraft models!