Storing scale vehicles?


jbaakko

jbaakko

Diesel Detail Freak
I've been on this subject myself for a few weeks now. I've been trying to look at viable ways to store large numbers of scale vehicles, for 2 reasons.

1. No real layout to put them on yet...
2. Not planning on permenently placing vehicles, figuring I can switch them up between operating sessions so pictures are never the same...

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas? I've already bought this neat, wall mountable, 4 tray tackle box thing, its about 1 1/2" deep for each tray, and does a pretty darn good job, for a $16 box. However, its still just a tad to shallow for most semi trucks, not to mention I can only fit one truck & trailer per row then. I have to tip the trailers on their sides, and the point of using this, is to store every thing upright, to avoid damage.

Anyone?
 
I get unmarked pizza boxes for storing trailers, but I put them on their sides as there's less damage to the landing gear. A small layer of foam helps keep them from sliding around.
Works great for rolling stock too.
I used to just keep them on their roofs in a plastic tool box, too hard to lift them out when full tho.
There's my two cents anyway. (2.03US)
 
I have two plastic tray units that have three drawers each. Got them in the housewares section of Wal-Mart. Each drawer is high enough to hold HO scale trailers. On the top drawer I've placed the bottom of a box that held 100 sheets of 8 by 10 photo paper, it is just right for cars and doubles the drawer capacity. See here:

Vehiclestorage.png
 
I use plastic shoe boxes, available at the Container Store, for storing all my trains and vehicles. I use paper towels and sheets of cardboard to protect the models from damage when they're moved.
 
Pretty cool ideas guys! Anything a bit more mobile then the plastic drawer units is nice. I want to be able to pick up a container full, and swap out vehicles around the layout.

I already have 3 of the 12"x12" three drawer plastic things like Ryan posted, but I use them for parts storage right now. I'll take pics of the tackle box tomorrow and see what you all think.

Rico, where do you get the said pizza boxes?
 
I think Bob has the best idea so far. I remember when I was a kid I was really into hotwheels cars and used to keep them in some of those plastic carrying cases that had the little rows of trays in them and each tray had a little compartment for each car. If you can find any of them around in some of the toystores that should help
 
Josh,
Most any pizza joint will donate a few boxes for the cause, I got lucky as my local vendor had some plain white boxes. Box supply companies carry a wide range of similar boxes.
They stack well and can be easily marked. I give the boxes numbers and make a list of what's in each one.
This started as a temporary thing, five years ago.
 
I've found some small white boxes at Staples years ago. You had to fold them yourself. I could fit tractor & trailer in boxes about five in each box. I used these boxes when I was moving.
 
If you live near a Bass Pro, they've got a similar case to the WalMart one but enclosed in a nylon carrying case with four plastic storage bins with adjustable dividers. They think it's a tackle box..heh..but we know what it's really good for. $14 total.
 
Whew, Rancho Cucamonga, thats quite a drive for a $14 storage case, lol.

Yeah, for now, I guess I'll stick to these Wal*mart Specials, and see if I cannot find a slightly deeper one for semi's, ore those pizza boxes.
 
Josh when my son was collecting Hotwheels cars he use to have carrying cases that they sold to store them in . Sometimes if you hit your local garage sales they have them on the cheap!!
 
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I haven't cruised the toy isles lately, but there used to be "collectors cases" for Hot Wheels sized cars, that would work fine for HO scale vehicles.

That's something that piqued my interest, since I have a LOT of automobiles! Being a car nut myself, my layout has a lot of automobiles on it.

And, being a car nut, it irks me to see cars driving down the roads, WITH NO DRIVERS!

As serious as most MRR's are about details, that is one major thing lacking from most layouts I've seen.

JMHO

Rotor

 
Yaeh it is funny how those cars go down the street with no drivers .Kinda like some Locos with no Engineers !
 
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