I've just spent a couple of hours looking for these and am now wondering what you may use? They will be for loco's and rolling stock from coaches to goods wagons. There are, obviously, the custom ones from Trainsporters and WWS etc and then there are the general tool/storage box types that can be bought from Amazon and the like. I'm not interested in the drawer type that slots together and will be using them to not only store the stock but also to transport them so handles are a must. Ideas and suggestions please.
I use A4 size boxes that are about 2" deep (the Society used to sell them on the Sales stand when Brian Guilant was still with us)
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Inside, each item has its own box made up from card from cereal boxes...
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And each of these has a printed label on the side with a photo of the item inside...
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and there is a piece of thickish paper allowing you to get the item out easily
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There's a sheet of paper on top of the little boxes with images on the contents - you can see through the lid.
The Really Useful Boxes I use take three of these in a stack and a small blob of BluTak under each box is enough to prevent them slipping around.
PS I think Brian bought his stocks from these people...
https://www.westonboxes.com/ (https://www.westonboxes.com/)
(an advantage of this method is that I can rearrange my stock as the fancy takes me - or as I retire and promote items)
For many items of stock, business card boxes are a suitable size. Some of the 009 model 3D print kit producers use them to send out their products.
My transportation boxes are made of thick card held together with good quality carpet tape. They are all the same external size, but have internal partitions and dividers for each item.
Each compartment is lined with thin expanded polystyrene sheets (wall paper lining) and each one also has a paper label at its base indicating what item should be in that partition. The paper also prevents and reaction between the side of the item and the polystyrene. As I acquire new items I can easily make new boxes and swap items between compartments.
For transportation to exhibitions each box is held close with an appropriately sized elastic band.
Some of these boxes are now over 40 years old, one ot two have had the tape replaced on the corners, but this has been mainly down to misuse but all are still in good condition.
They all fit into one holdall bag that I keep for this task.
They all used to be made from green card, but my source of this disappeared some years ago now, so the latest ones are use white card.
Great, thanks very much to one and all.
This is a bit 'Rolls Royce' but may be of interest...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52268979436_e8c29ca38b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCQbyC)
It's a Samsonite flight case with layers of Plastazote foam (a closed cell polyethylene foam used in museums for packing objects for transport) with custom cut recesses (I used a hot wire cutter).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52269469125_c0315ff1a0_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCSG8x)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52268979236_6b3f293621_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nCQbvb)
I suspect it would withstand quite a bit of rough treatment but has the disadvantages that it isn't cheap (though the case was being thrown out) and should I get rid of any stock I'm left with a hole.
That being said I have used the same foam cutouts in the small business card boxes mentioned by Graeme for small (0-4-0 and 0-6-0) locos.
Thanks Julien, most impressive.
Really useful boxes are ...er...really useful and I use old pill cartons,they're small, strong and easily labelled. They're handy for small items like figures and animals, benches etc.
Thanks for the last suggestion.