I don't know much about storing Z Scale cars but AC Moore is has a great price on "Storage Bins". Since I'm an N Scaler I started a thread here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=80724 There are 30 boxes in the bottom right hand bin:
Storing those wonderful Z scale Trains! Everyone has their way of storing their Z scale trains, and I have mine. For quite a while I have been wanting to post photos of what I use to store and transport my Z scale. First, I have a small flip top plastic container I bought at Hobby Lobby for $1.99. I use it to store all of my Husky's. I cut out some of the separators to allow the Husky's to fit in two rows. In each compartment I can place 8 MTL or FR Husky's. 4 on top and 4 on bottom. The case has 6 compartments. 6x8=48. In my case, it holds 49. I am able, due to the configuration, store my FR Maxi III in one of the bottom sections. I carry all of the containers in a seperate plastic box with room to spare. Shows a standard Z scale MTL case for comparison size! Where did all of the clear plastic BULKY & Space Wasteful MTL containers go? I use them for other things. No space wasted here! Hobo Tim *Next posting will show what I use for my Locos and Rollingstock!
The other Storage Container! I found this fancy storage at the Harbor Freight store just down the road. I think I paid $7 for it. I now have 3 of them. Just now starting on the second one! It has 10 separate small containers with different internal compartment sizes. I mix and match but find all of them useful. Here is the photos! I have 70 Z scale items in this case with room for 9 more! Now that is alot! Look for yourself! MTL Z case for comparison size! AC 48' Spine Cars. 3 complete sets will fit in one compartment. My scratch build 48' Trailers for the 48' Spine cars. 2 complete sets. End of first page!
Page 2 Compartment for my AC 89' Flat cars. Long Runners-Triple 53's 2 MTL new 50' Boxcars, 2 FR PS2 Hoppers, and 3 M4D Hi-Cubes! Old MTL 50 Boxcars and 2 gondolas 2 AZL C44-9's, 1 Zthek SW-1, & 2 GP35's End of page 2
Page 3 Misc trucks and couplers. Other stuff too! Misc other rollingstock! 7 of Uncle Will's Cylindricals And the complete rainbow set of the Happy Birthday Train! There you have it. 10 compartments to store most all of my Z scale. You should have seen the huge pile of clear plastic cases I had after taking all of these trains out! Amazing! So, why do you still store your Z scale in those Bulky cases? Hobo Tim
Tim: I also bought 3 cases a couple of weeks ago. Sure beats the idea MTL is rolling around of a "book" for about $15 that will hold only 5 cars. Anyway, what are you using for dividers. I didn't see anything like that at Harbor Freight. ...don
Foam Sheet material for dividers! Don, I forgot to cover that one. I use the many colors of 2mm foam sheets that can be found at Hobby Lobby or Michaels or at most other Hobby/Craft stores. The sheets come in 30cmx45cm sheets and average .79 cents each. I use different colors in different compartments for easy distal recognition. Pick up the compartment with orange inside and I know it is the 89' Flat compartment. I use a hot glue gun to permanently fix most of the dividers in place. For the trailers, the spine cars, the 89' flats, and all of the Husky's, the dividers are loose. The Husky compartment has a large divider that sits on top of the bottom 4 Husky's allowing the top row of 4 Husky's to fit without touching the bottom 4. The only foam that is glued permanently in these 4 compartments are the plastic bottoms, sides, and inside top cover. Works good! Hobo Tim
Tim, you get the "Organizer of the Year" award!!:teeth: Martha Stewart would be proud! That is an awesome setup!!:thumbs_up:
Monotonous! There are times in life when repetition is a good thing. Like having so many presents under the Christmas tree, you almost get tired of opening each one, or winning the lotto back to back, several times in a row! Repetitions like this are good! But........ I am not writing this about "GOOD" repetitions! There is a repetition that got very old, very quick! Yes, the clear plastic "Collector (Show-off)" cases that MTL and a few others use to package their products in. Not only do you have to put up with opening each one, but the MTL cases have that small bent plastic sheet and then, when you go to put the item in the case, it only fits one way. With the Husky packaging, you have to place them in the vacuum molded plastic at an angle so the uncoupling pins on the trucks don't bind. What a mess, especially when you have 40+ cases to open each time then have to open them again to store the item. Gets extremely monotonous! I had to find a better, more easy way of storing what I run. As I stated earlier, those clear plastic cases take up an Enormous amount of wasted space and actually weigh alot in bulk. I eliminated the wasted space and the extra weight. SIMPLIFY!!!!! Repetition of opening and closing those clear plastic MTL cases just isn't my way of having fun running Trains! Hobo Tim
Amen as to the monotony of unpacking and packing up cars. Ask Bryan how long it takes us to put away those 100 plus car trains we run at shows. :-( I love the storage system you've come up with. It sure beats our tackle boxes. Fishing tackle boxes work OK but unless you pick the right one, you quickly outgrow them. I wish I had a Harbor Freight close by so I could go window shop. Randy PS - I'm counting down the days to OCT 28th. ;-)
My "Small Show" travel case. This case is a poker chip case. In it, I have 41 PZ Hoppers, 19 MT box cars, 5 MT cabooses, 3 Flat Cars, 3 Gons, 1 bulkhead flat, 3 tank cars, 1 Mikado, 1 MT F7A, 2 MT F7AB powered combos, 2 GP 35s, Gon and flat loads, screwdrivers, oil, MT F7 Brushes, and a rerailer. I have two other large cases that I store my hoppers and other rolling stock in. They are rolling aluminum travel cases that fit jewelery display trays in. I use 1" and 1-1/2" trays to cary both boxed and unboxed cars. There are many different inserts for these trays. Each 1-1/2" tray will hold 13 PZ or MT boxes plus one FR Box. Or 8 Full Throttle double boxes and one FR, or 9 FR Boxes. I have inserts for the 1" trays that will hold 30 PZ Hoppers (without boxes) or 45 MT PS2s, or 36 MT 40' box cars or..... Dan S.
Here are some of the inserts. Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I dropped my flash, and she's not working so good. Dan S.
Here is an outside view of the travel cases. They both have wheels and telescoping handles. I want to get lables for the ends of the trays so I can easily tell what's in them. Dan S.
Dan, can you get a macro shot of the dividers you use in the trays with just the cars? Can't tell from the overview shots. Looks like a nice secure case. Sometimes I like the vertical one with trays and then sometimes the flat 'poker chip' one for when you want to showcase something.
I've been using the Train Box Plus sytem www.trainboxesplus.com after trying the Axian ones (only N-scale and cars/locos rolled around way too much). Waxed (water resistant) heavy durable cardboard. Three tray or one tray versions. Each tray has 3 long sections with 3 rows each for a lot of trains. Foam is open cell so it snags on many parts and the couplers plus is still really too big for Z so cars still move around and can bang couplers together, etc. Jim Manley and Steve Wesoloski (Nn3 guy) have been trying to make somthing like a split square tube with track that one can just roll the cars onto. Think about it. Get a re-railer in one end, place friction foam or felt on the sides and place your cars in it then close for transport. To drop on layout, place on track, open and roll cars on the track.
Well, since I'm having flash problems, and I cant seem to photograph the black velvet, I will just post links to the site I got them from. By the way, the poker chip case isn't very good as a showcase, but you can get the jewelry trays with showcase lids that will fit in the aluminum case or be used by themselves. Also, I have some high density foam that I still need to secure as car dividers into the trays. I am still working on the most efficient layout. But, with the 1" trays, there is just enough room to lay a soft cloth over the cars. Once the next tray is stacked, the cars are held gently in palce. These are the liners that I use for box cars (two fit in each tray): http://www.nilecorp.com/products.asp?sku=991-06B These are for PZ hoppers and MT PS-2's (one per tray) http://www.nilecorp.com/products.asp?sku=99-15B These are for MT Gons and Flats: http://www.nilecorp.com/products.asp?sku=991-10B These are the trays. I use the utility trays in 1 and 1-1/2" stackable plastic and the 1" wood tray. http://www.nilecorp.com/store-cat.asp?categoryID=200214 The plastic trays stack more securely but can't be slid apart, so I use the wooden trays if I am going to want to leave the trays in the case and just slide out the ones that I want. I am also building a rack at home based on these tray sizes as drawers. That way, I can quickly load a travel case when I need to. Dan S.
