I'll soon be moving into an apartment that is too small to bring the Layout with me (it aint much, a simple 4*8, but still too big for this space). I am planning to pack up the locomotives, Rolling stock, and perhaps the track (undecided on that point, its regular ez track). Anything in particular I need to do to the locomotives to prepare them for storage? I expect it'll be a while until they are broken out again, at least a year.
Store them upright, as if on the track.
;D
https://youtu.be/GBSORXH4Xek (https://youtu.be/GBSORXH4Xek)
Sid
Quote from: Trainman203 on June 25, 2020, 06:14:44 PM
Store them upright, as if on the track.
Wondering what the purpose of keeping them upright is for? Most of the locos I see sitting in my local hobby shop are laying on their sides in the boxes from the factory.
I always save my locos' original packaging just for storage reasons.
Rolling stock gets packed on their sides with some tissue paper in between cars to protect trucks and couplers.
Sid
Excellent Song. Not bad advice Either ;)
I'm pondering maybe gluing a short straight section of track to a board I can keep laid up against the wall or something so I can at least run a loco back and forth every now and then, when I get the urge. Gonna be interesting moving to this smaller space. Hopefully, when I get my own place, I'll have enough room to rebuild a proper layout.
I too wonder about the purpose of upright storage.
I keep the box to most things I own, helps for packing AND when I retire equipment (usually electronics) and can sell it as Complete in box
Don't give a second thought to the upright storage. Put them in their boxes and squirrel them away.
Sid
I always heard that upright storage was to keep lubricants flowing down instead of sideways.
Quote from: Trainman203 on June 26, 2020, 12:51:11 PM
I always heard that upright storage was to keep lubricants flowing down instead of sideways.
You shouldn't have that much lube in a locomotive to worry about that. If lube is leaking out, you have used way too much or it's too hot in storage and the grease has liquified.
Like the song said.....store it in a cool, dry place.
Sid
It's only what I heard somewhere a long time ago,
I transport my stuff all the time to the club and, well, I tend to break stuff just as much. I recommend storing locomotives in original packaging. If you don't have it, at least use tissue paper (preferably white but if not that's ok) against the engine, with layers of newspaper and/or bubblewrap outside of that. For cars, honestly, just a single sheet of newspaper. Store this all in a cardboard box because, trust me, bags break. A lot LOL.
Quote from: prr22 on June 26, 2020, 11:00:13 PM
I transport my stuff all the time to the club and, well, I tend to break stuff just as much. I recommend storing locomotives in original packaging. If you don't have it, at least use tissue paper (preferably white but if not that's ok) against the engine, with layers of newspaper and/or bubblewrap outside of that. For cars, honestly, just a single sheet of newspaper. Store this all in a cardboard box because, trust me, bags break. A lot LOL.
Luckily, I have the boxes for MOST of my equipment.
For the few pieces I dont have them, I actually have a really cool thing, and I wish I knew where to get more of them but its this:
https://imgur.com/a/laPVMkv
these are the boxes that a store I used to work at recieved their loose flash drives in. I took three of them home one day and they are fantastic. because the slots are so numerous and close together, you can cut our more or less the exact contour of the cars and have very snug fitting space to hold them. Its really great.
I used to travel to the club packing each car and engine in the original box. The pack-up time in particular was eating my lunch, 60-100 cars and 7-10 steam locomotives, 1/2 hour or more precious time at the club spent non-operating.
I now have three of these:
https://ppw-aline.com/collections/a-line-hobby-tote-system-ho-n-scales
Much much better. Although frequent handling of equipment is not good for high end cars with lots of separate details. Blue box type cars, roundhouse cars and such fare better,
A-Line is another useless company that can't figure out how to ship anywhere but the USA.
That being said, there should be nothing stopping someone from copying and distributing those to the rest of the world. As long as they don't get sold in the States, all is good.
Sid
Thanks for the info about those carrying cases!
I got mine years ago. Eventually all the aggravation will recede.
I use shoe and boot boxes left over from a local shoe store. I just add 1mm thick heavy card from a craft store for dividers. A platform can be added to some of the boot boxes to make two layers.
Len