Rolling Stock Storage?

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nwdrummer379

nwdrummer379

Class of '11
Many of us here have a decent amount of rolling stock, and some of us may have too many to count. My question to you is, when you have cars that aren't in use where or how do you store them? I only have 42 cars so storage isn't that big of a problem for me. They usually just sit on the shelf below my layout or in a couple of shoe boxes.
 
Watch Walmart for sales on their plastic storage boxes. I got six of them for $4 each. They are 3' x 28" x 14" deep. Perfect for two layers of cars with some foam as a shelf between the layers. I can get about 25 standard freight cars in a box, or about 10 full length passenger cars. They sit on a shelf under my layout, with label that lists each car in the box, so I don't have to go hunting through each box to find a specific car.
 
i use 3 toolboxes, they have a flip open lid and on top of the lid is are smaller little boxes that are perfect for parts, and a few of the plastic totes for christmas ornaments with the carboard dividers removed.
 


I'm in N scale. I bought a small 12"x 21" wall display that has 5 shelves. I knew it wasn't going to be enough but I wanted to see how they're made. Then I built a display shelf myself, 24" x 24" with 8 shelves. It's absolutely amazing how fast you can fill those things up!

Later, I decided I needed more wall display cabinets. I bought enough material to make two 24" x 36" displays with 9 shelves on each. After building them, I had enough material left over to make another 24" x 24" display with 8 shelves.

Needless to say, most of my stuff is still in boxes!!! Dang, these little buggers can take up some room!

Here's a photo of the first display that I bought and the first one I made above it:

closetworkbench.jpg


To the left of the displays is my closet storage/workbench. I know, I have a lot of stuff for the future! LOL Some of those brown boxes on the shelves on the left side of the closet hold the rest of my locomotives and rolling stock. They are well protected and safe, but I never know what I have in the box without getting it off the shelf and opening it up.

Here's a photo of the three displays I built:

Displayshelves.jpg


I hadn't filled them up when I took this picture. They're pretty full now! Not shown in the picture is the G scale shelf layout I built around the walls.

Here's a photo of the same corner of the room as picture #2 but with the G scale shelf running above the displays:

Oneendofsidingandcorner.jpg


The locomotive in the picture is sitting on the outer track of a two-track siding. I have two G scale trains, one passenger, one freight. The sidings are powered individually so one train can wait in the siding while the other circles the room. I built the G scale shelf layout to keep my grandkids occupied when they visit. They're still a little too young to run the N scale layout.

I figure I'd need about 4 or 5 more 24" x 36" 9-shelf displays to get the rest of my equipment out of their storage boxes. There isn't enough wall space in this room for that many displays. I have some wall space in the family room downstairs, but I don't want to separate the trains from the layout.

That's what I did for display and storage.

Darrell, quiet...for now
 
I have heard that the boxes that computer mother boards come in are good to use. I dont know how easy they are to get or if computer repair places keep or throw these boxes away when they send stuff out or not though. I do know that I wouldnt mind getting my hands on a bunch of these myself.
 
I have 3 HD cardboard boxes that are about 20"Lx10"Wx 8"H have a proper lid to seal and secure the box top. each has 3 layers and each layer holds about 10 40' freight cars. I use these to store and to bring my rolling stock to the club in. I have about 100 freight cars in total and dont plan on buying much more. I need about 15 more coal cars and a few 1940s hopper cars and I will be plenty happy with rolling stock. All my stuff is lower detail stuff such as Athearn BB, accurail etc... All I need is a slim foam incert between each row and life is good.

I see how the guys at the club bring duffel bags with there nicely detailed cars. 3 bags make a 40 car train because of all the RTR boxes they keep cars in LOL....no thanks
 
Nice looking storage units on the walls. All of mine are on my layout. I have a 3ft. wide by 18ft long yard & 8 tracks. keep about 90 cars there.
 
Rolling stock storage

Back when I worked ( in construction )( retired now ) I had access to 1 x 4 wood, so I as time allowed built storage shelves 1 x 2 1/2 with track mounted on them. Mounted to the walls of my layout room gives me ample storage space with some extra cars still in boxes below the layout ! Only problem with this is no room for backdrop scenery. Well I quess one can't have it all ! ;) Joe
 


Those cabinets look really nice. Guess I'll eventually have to do something like that so as to have the rolling stock a little handier, I do N scale as well. I have a question on your ceiling set up. What wood did you use for the shelf? I have been debating 1/2" birch ply, or 1/2" pine board. Trouble is, finding enough pine that isn't bowed. As if my N scale isn't enough, I am planning to do an O scale shelf like that.

Paul O.
 
straight-track said:
Back when I worked ( in construction )( retired now ) I had access to 1 x 4 wood, so I as time allowed built storage shelves 1 x 2 1/2 with track mounted on them. Mounted to the walls of my layout room gives me ample storage space with some extra cars still in boxes below the layout ! Only problem with this is no room for backdrop scenery. Well I quess one can't have it all ! ;) Joe
Click to expand...

Holy C**P! You have a few pieces of stock there don't ya. I guess probably most of you do, but just seeing it is amazing.

Paul O.
 
straight-track said:
Back when I worked ( in construction )( retired now ) I had access to 1 x 4 wood, so I as time allowed built storage shelves 1 x 2 1/2 with track mounted on them. Mounted to the walls of my layout room gives me ample storage space with some extra cars still in boxes below the layout ! Only problem with this is no room for backdrop scenery. Well I quess one can't have it all ! ;) Joe
Click to expand...

I gotta show this to the wife tonight, and tell her that if she ever thinks I am accumulating too much RR stuff, to remember these pics. :D

Paul O.
 
i don't have nearly as much stuff as you guys but thats my storage solution. made out of 1x2's i had laying around. not much but enough to keep overflow off the table while i work on it. i keep a box with original packaging , some cars are still in that packaging. i also have couple of the wall-mart plastic "sterile" drawer units Jim mentioned - shallow (one car height) mounted to the wall and two deep 3-drawer carts that go under the table for track, scenery material, electronic parts etc.

DSC_8860-vi.jpg

and a
 
Have more actually !

Actually I have more shelves on the opposite side of the room I haven't pictured yet ! But you have to realize I've been collecting for some 35 to 40 years. It's not an overnite deal and a very understanding wife plus a very good union career that allowed for such frivolities ! The 1 x 4's were ripped down to about 2 1/4 I believe and drywall screwed together at the ends, no backing, and a strip of 1/8 " aluminum down the back center for alignment . All are hanging on 3 1/2 " #14 wood screws into wall studs ! Joe :)
 
Storage for large scale trains is harder as they take up a lot of room. So we make do with basic shelves and find a spot where the rolling stock and other items fit:

rollingstockstorage.jpg
buildingstorage1.jpg
buildingstorage7.jpg


For most of our unused HO items, we just keep them in their original boxes and then put these boxes in storage draws etc...

For some of the higher end HO items, we had a custom display case built:

hobrass.jpg
 
Hey, Joe, I'll trade you my backdrop for a couple of those display cabinets. :) Very impressive collection but, as you say, if you stick with the hobby long enough and are lucky enough to have the disposable income, you do tend to build up quite a collection.
 
Collection

Jim, You're correct, persistance is justly rewarded. The shelves are not difficult at all to build. The hard part is finding the " free " wood ( pine ) straight enough for this use. I filled the walls on all four sides of my layout room except for two door ways & 2 windows. I recently bought a newer digital camera and need to take more pix. My latest on going project is my container handling yard . Thanks, Joe ! :rolleyes:
 


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