Rolling Stock Storage Box

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steamyjim
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Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by steamyjim » Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:17 pm

A pleasant little job yesterday afternoon adding a second level to a Locobox box I had knocking about to make it more suitable for storage and transportation of rolling stock. 4mm plywood base and 12mm ends. Might provide some inspiration for someones stock storage.

Just got to build boxes for the loco fleet now think I'll build another box to take my rake of IOM Pairs coaches and a short rake of 4 wheel coaches.

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Old Man Aaron
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:58 pm

Nice work there, and very tidy. I should really get on with making some stock boxes myself..
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by steamyjim » Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:39 pm

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:58 pm Nice work there, and very tidy. I should really get on with making some stock boxes myself..
Just to add as it may not be clear, I did not make the box, just the tray.

I'm going to make a set of boxes of standard width and height with varying lengths for the loco fleet. A friend with a well equipped carpentry shop has been collared to run the plywood sheets out for me - a quick job in his workshop but a bit of a faff in mine!
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:10 am

Of course. A nice job of the tray, is what I should've said.
Aye, it's cutting multiple identical panels that's stopping me, too.
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practical_phil
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by practical_phil » Sun Aug 16, 2020 9:54 am

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:10 am Of course. A nice job of the tray, is what I should've said.
Aye, it's cutting multiple identical panels that's stopping me, too.
I'm rubbish at cutting wood square so have found a few local places who will cut it to my requirements - to old fashioned hardware shops in local towns are happy to do this and don't even charge. B&Q will also let you have some free cuts and then charge 50p (I think) for more. Well worth it for a quality job and no frustration!
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by GTB » Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:51 pm

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:10 am Aye, it's cutting multiple identical panels that's stopping me, too.
Might be worth checking out your local Mens Shed, looking on the net there's one in Buderim. They usually have a workshop with useful things like table saws, etc.

I invested in a Triton Workbench many years ago when they were made in Aust. and more widely available. There's been a lot of ply and timber put through that over the years.

I need to build another couple of carry cases, but the timber yards here are closed to all but tradies during the level 4 shutdown. I've got the hardware and some ply, but not the timber. Sigh......

If it stops raining long enough I'll try and take some photos of the cases and trays I use. They may be of use to someone as a source of ideas.

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Graeme

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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by Andrew » Sun Aug 16, 2020 4:18 pm

practical_phil wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 9:54 am
Old Man Aaron wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:10 am Of course. A nice job of the tray, is what I should've said.
Aye, it's cutting multiple identical panels that's stopping me, too.
I'm rubbish at cutting wood square so have found a few local places who will cut it to my requirements - to old fashioned hardware shops in local towns are happy to do this and don't even charge. B&Q will also let you have some free cuts and then charge 50p (I think) for more. Well worth it for a quality job and no frustration!
Now that's a goo idea, thank you!

I could really do with some stock boxes, but I'm also rubbish a cutting square, or even straight!

Cheers,

Andrew

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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by steamyjim » Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:49 pm

GTB wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:51 pm
Old Man Aaron wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:10 am Aye, it's cutting multiple identical panels that's stopping me, too.
Might be worth checking out your local Mens Shed, looking on the net there's one in Buderim. They usually have a workshop with useful things like table saws, etc.

I invested in a Triton Workbench many years ago when they were made in Aust. and more widely available. There's been a lot of ply and timber put through that over the years.

I need to build another couple of carry cases, but the timber yards here are closed to all but tradies during the level 4 shutdown. I've got the hardware and some ply, but not the timber. Sigh......

If it stops raining long enough I'll try and take some photos of the cases and trays I use. They may be of use to someone as a source of ideas.

Regards,
Graeme
Be interested to see your stock boxes Graeme. I'm undecided how I want to access my locomotive boxes - I've currently a couple that 'split in half' like this one, and one that has a flap on the end. I saw this one with a side flap in a YouTube video that I rather like.

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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by GTB » Mon Aug 17, 2020 3:42 pm

steamyjim wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:49 pm Be interested to see your stock boxes Graeme. I'm undecided how I want to access my locomotive boxes -
Be careful what you ask for.........


This photo shows my standard small loco box, made from 6mm ply and 170mm x 19mm dressed pine. That isn't a standard board size in Aust., so I have to rip down 184mm x 19mm dressed pine, which is where the Triton Workcentre comes in. The front slide and the back of the case are 6mm ply, so the next step for the pine is a trip through the router table to cut a groove on both sides of the board to house the back and provide tracks for the front slide. The top and bottom are then cropped from the the board using the saw bench and the top and bottom have steps routed out to locate the ends. The top then has a piece cut off which forms the top lip of the slide.

Glue it all together with yellow PVA woodworking glue and clamp it up with band clamps until the glue dries, usually overnight. Finish is stain varnish, which seals the wood and stops water and oil from locos staining it. As well as the carry handle fixed to the top, there are also rubber feet fitted to the bottom. These stop damage to table tops and other cases and also clear the handle so the boxes can be stacked and remain stable.

The photo also shows the cradle used to stop the loco rattling around inside the case. The longitudinal strip of 3mm ply locates the wheels (much easier to make and fit than routing two grooves) and is 39mm wide in my case, as I run on 45mm gauge tracks. The clamping blocks are made to match a particular loco and have felt pads where they contact the loco when screwed down. One, or sometimes both, are removable so the loco can be rolled off the cradle onto the track. The little block at the front is there to make it easy to slide the cradle out of the case.

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The next photo shows the case with a loco in residence. I try and make all the boxes to the same internal dimensions, so the cradles are interchangeable. The original plan was to have only a couple of boxes, but as the fleet grew, I found they were also good for storage as well as transport.

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I make them in two lengths and so far everything I've built fits into one of those two sizes. The longer ones are for the big tender locos, but only the length changes, the other dimensions stay the same. The photo shows both sizes stacked, with locos inside. For tender engines I fit a third clamp which holds down both loco and tender separately. Stops them coming adrift in transit if the road is bumpy.

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The next case is the lighter plywood one I've recently started making for small battery powered models like rail motors and works motors. Easy to make, just needs a sheet of 7mm ply ripped into strips and docked to length, then glued and nailed. The aluminium angle that forms the tracks for the front slide is a standard 20mm x 12mm extrusion from the rack in the local hardware store. The handle, feet and loco cradle are the same and are interchangeable with the cases for steam locos. Much easier to make than the solid wood ones, as a router isn't necessary and if 9mm ply was used it would be strong enough for steam locos.

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The last loco case photos shows the Shay in the ply box made by Accucraft and used to pack the model. Instead of their usual nested cardboard boxes, this replaced the inner box. The Argyll NA class model was supplied in something similar. All I've done is to fit feet, a handle and stain it. It came with two grooves already in the bottom, so I didn't make a cradle, just added the clamping blocks.

The first photo shows it locked up for transport, the second opened up to show how it works. Being plywood, it is easy to make, as you just need to rip a sheet of 9mm ply down into the necessary width strips and dock them to length. My IOM railcar came in the usual two cardboard boxes and I was going to make one of these for it, but I was unable to source suitable catches locally.

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The next couple of photos are my rolling stock storage trays. The first one has three passenger cars in it, but the bogie wagons use the same design. The only variation is that the ones for open wagons aren't as deep. The spacers with the felt pads are there to stop the models rattling around during transport. The footboards are wider than the carbody, so the spacers fill the resulting gap and stop things moving around. Much easier to use than chunks of foam rubber and less likely to get lost. The cleats on the side are there to locate the trays when stacked for storage and also provide convenient handles for carrying a loaded tray.

The timber bogies are stored in a similar tray, but they are shorter and narrower than other bogie stock, so they are mounted across the tray. That way the tray is the same size, but it holds five models, not three.
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The last photo is a 'one-off' storage tray I made for the string of skips. They are semi-permanent coupled into rakes of four and there is an end slide so each rake can be pulled out onto the track and coupled up fairly quickly. They are a pain to transport, so they haven't left home to date.

Case 14.jpg
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The larger 4-wheel wagons are currently wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in plastic storage crates. I still haven't gotten around to working out a tray for them, hence no photos. It will probably be much the same as the bogie stock trays, with two wagons in each compartment.

My storage/carry cases are designed for my circumstances, where I only transport models by car around the Melbourne area. No idea how they would go on public transport.

You mentioned side loading, top loading and end loading cases for locos. My personal preference is obviously for side loading using a cradle.

I have one other loco case, not shown, built by Brian Wilson and supplied with the Garratt. The loco is mounted on a cradle, but the opening flap is on the end of the case. Sliding the cradle in and out of the case longitudinally is a bit of a trial, not helped by the loco's weight.

Fishing a model in and out of a box vertically doesn't float my boat either. A cradle with tall handles that are easily accessed might make it less painful, but not something I've tried. Something like the cradle with lifting straps supplied by Roundhouse with the Darj Garratt might also be an option with top loading cases.

Regards,
Graeme

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Old Man Aaron
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by Old Man Aaron » Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:12 am

Excellent cases, Graeme. More or less precisely what I was thinking of doing. Having a small table saw, I can rip ply down to width. It's cutting those strips to square, repeatable lengths, that I'm not currently equipped to do. I really should just buy a small circular saw - only reason I haven't is that the toolbox is full, and a backlog of other projects. Here's hoping you can get your hands on more timber soon..
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by Peter Butler » Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:16 pm

All of those storage/carry cases are really wonderful, it might seem a lot of trouble to some but well worth the effort to protect superb locos and stock.
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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by GTB » Sat Aug 22, 2020 2:41 pm

Peter Butler wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:16 pm it might seem a lot of trouble to some but well worth the effort to protect superb locos and stock.
Yes, that's how I look at it as well.

Luckily I enjoy working with wood, so I can make my own cases (that sound is my high school woodworking teacher laughing).

Graeme

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Re: Rolling Stock Storage Box

Post by GTB » Sat Aug 22, 2020 3:39 pm

Old Man Aaron wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:12 am It's cutting those strips to square, repeatable lengths, that I'm not currently equipped to do.
For plywood boxes I rip the sheet into strips on the saw bench, but usually cut the strips to length with a hand saw. Then clean up all the cut edges with a hand plane.

Commercial mitre boxes aren't wide enough for cutting the strips, but it would be easy enough to make a suitable one out of off-cuts. A compound mitre saw would be useful I guess, but I've never owned one,

Theoretically the level 4 shutdown ends in mid Sept., but I'm not holding my breath.

Graeme

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