I'm just starting in 009, and am starting to collect stock for a layout I hope to build this coming winter. I have a mixture of kit built and RTR stock and am wondering what people use to store their stock when not in use on the layout. I'm familiar with the use of box files for 00 stuff, but these seem a bit big for our diminutive rolling stock. What do you use??
Cheers, Jonathan
My stock boxes are made from thick cardboard.
The sections are fitted together with good quality carpet tape.
The inside of each section is fitted with thin polystyrene as used as wallpaper backing insulation.
There is also a sheet of paper at the back of each one with a description of the vehicle/loco.
These ones with green card are now over 40 years old!!
There's a brief description of my stock boxes here on my layout website:
http://www.hnorwood.co.uk/files/amblog18.htm#pt11 (http://www.hnorwood.co.uk/files/amblog18.htm#pt11)
Basically I use A4 sized plastic boxes (the Sales stand used to sell these) which are about 50mm deep. Each item of stock has its own card box (made from cereal packet).
I have not had any issues with stock and I have been using these "on the road" since 2011
Diminutive 009 stock!?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48330780347_43b9969f07_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gCPTbk)
Does not compute!
Anyhow, Victoria and my other bits of stock (large and small) are stored in custom cut closed cell expanded polyethylene foam (also known as Plastazote) inserts within the white plastic boxes sold by our own sales team - one of the business card size boxes will take a normal 009 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 loco, something like Victoria (a Cuban 30" gauge loco) will fit in one of the DL size boxes.
I've also used the same foam in bigger sheets - about 15 by 12 inches - with individual cut outs for stock items, and 3 sheets stack into a sturdy flight case. I've done this for my Latham's Brewery stock, and I'll try to post some photos tomorrow to show the set up.
The foam is quite useful as it is easily cut with one of the hot wire/ hot knife cutters, and the Plastazote is used by museums for the package & storage of their precious objects, (so it may be a bit 'Rolls Royce' but will most certainly do the job). Stear clear of other foams, especially polyurethane as this breaks down leaving a fine sticky dust all over your models as can be found all over those expensive US brass locos that have been left in their boxes for years at a time.
Tissue paper / kitchen roll is not a good idea as it does not provide enough cushioning just in case you drop the box (or the cat knocks it off the shelf). Bubblewrap is better, but is better used with the bubbles on the outside to avoid an 'bubble imprints'.
The problem with any form of 'wrapping' it that the action of wrapping the model in a sheet comes with the chance of catching all those little details - footsteps and the like - or even bigger items - like loco chimneys - and breaking them off. The same can happen when you unwrap them, with the added danger that a mishap could see your model fall out of the wrapping and onto the workbench or floor and be turned back into a kit once more.... even the ready to run items!
I hope that helps.
Julien Webb, 009 Society Heritage Officer (using advice from MrsW who is a museums conservator)
I've managed to find the photos I took when I packed the Latham's Brewery stock on the hard drive, and have uploaded them to Flickr to post here.
So, this is the flight case (steel rule is 12" long):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52269469475_dcd57c500b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCSGez)
Shown open with the (uncut) foam inserts:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52268998648_13d0404676.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCQhgS)
The foam:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52269249739_9c49e983a6.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCRyV2)
The idea was to have the thicker sheet (25 or 30 mm) to hold the stock in holes cut through it, with a thinner sheet (10mm) of the same material used as a backing sheet. Finally another thin sheet sits on the top of the stack in the case to provide further protection. The thickness of the sheets will depend on both the size of the case you use and how wide your stock is.
The stock all packed:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52268979436_e8c29ca38b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCQbyC)
The holes were cut with a hot knife after marking out around the stock with a pen (gold as I had one and it showed up on the black foam). As can be seen there is plenty of space for more stock (and I have added to the Brewery's stock so will need to cut some more holes). The cotton tapes are used to hold the thick and thin layers together, but once the insert is full the backing can be stuck on (I used a hot melt glue gun). You cold also add cotton tape as a 'sling' under each model to help get it out of its hole if things are a little tight as it avoids accidentally pulling bits off..
A full insert tray:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52269469125_c0315ff1a0.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCSG8x)
Not that you can also use the tray to hold scenic items like road vehicles...
Detail of a hole:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52268979236_6b3f293621.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCQbvb)
Looking into the hole you can (just) see there is some extra foam in the bottom to support the loco's boiler. This is made by cutting up the bit you've cut out of the think sheet.
Quote from: JulienW on August 07, 2022, 11:58The cotton tapes are used to hold the thick and thin layers together, but once the insert is full the backing can be stuck on (I used a hot melt glue gun). You cold also add cotton tape as a 'sling' under each model to help get it out of its hole if things are a little tight as it avoids accidentally pulling bits off.
How do you get the stock out of the foam without the cotton tape?
To be honest the cotton tape would only be needed if the holes were accurately cut and the stock was a tight fit.
With the brewery stock there is usually enough room to get finger tips in to grip and pull the stock out as I didn't cut things that accurately - just a rough outline with the pen with space around the couplings (I've used DGs on these) to avoid catching things. But with some of the individual locos in small white boxes I've been better at the cutting so have used tapes, especially with 3d printed locos as these tend to be a little fragile compared to brass or white metal ones.
Quote from: JulienW on August 06, 2022, 21:31
Diminutive 009 stock!?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48330780347_43b9969f07_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gCPTbk)
Does not compute!
Big 009 loco?
No.
Here is a big 009 loco, but I have yet to build a box for it!!
JB's Model World regularly appears at exhibitions in the south of England and has an eBay shop: https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/jbsmodelworld (https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/jbsmodelworld) He does boxes and inserts specifically for 009. I have a couple.
Up to now I have used small A4 drawer sets in to which I have placed cardboard dividers cut to the size of the stock. Sadly they have become hard to find, and a qucik search has only found ones made from banmboo: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawers-Organiser-Stationary-Supplies-Eco-Friendly/dp/B085J1RM7P/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=desktop+drawers+a4&qid=1660156785&quartzVehicle=5-106&replacementKeywords=desktop+drawers&sr=8-17 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawers-Organiser-Stationary-Supplies-Eco-Friendly/dp/B085J1RM7P/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=desktop+drawers+a4&qid=1660156785&quartzVehicle=5-106&replacementKeywords=desktop+drawers&sr=8-17)
Julian
I use the 00 8 slot version from Ten Commandments and find it suitable for my L&B and IOM loco's and stock, the N gauge version might be ok if you are only storing small wagons (slate/tipper wagons) as the slots are 195x25x25mm, might be worth checking out?
Barry
Found a couple of photos I posted in my layout thread some years ago third post down on this page:
https://www.009society.com/forum/index.php?topic=282.225 (https://www.009society.com/forum/index.php?topic=282.225)
Any storage solution for me normally starts with "really useful box" and I was planning to buy some of these wooden inserts
https://warbases.co.uk/product/rub-tray/
(https://warbases.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/stack.jpg)
However they are between £7-£9 each so I have started experimenting with making my own with hardboard bases and cardboard sides. It's not going well and hobby craft had their plastic trays in the sale so for now I am using them, but they are not very space efficient and for larger items I have had to cut out the wall between to "cells" to make one large enough.
Given that the physical protection comes from the RUB and the inserts are mainly there to stop stock bumping together, would more lightly (and more easily) built inserts work? For example using foamboard and glue, or foamboard with a card base?
It might not be suitable for heavier locos, but a lot of rolling stock is so light it should not need particularly strong inserts. Also laminating bits of foamboard would to shape the internal dimensions to whatever is appropriate.