# how do you carry your engines



## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Just looking for a good way to transport and carry engines around with out putting them in and out of their boxes. Thanks for any ideas.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Depends upon the size, weight and how "delicate" the engine is as far as how extreme you want to get. Several friends use the large Rubber Maid totes with handles and then buy the foam sheet products used for making pillows or cushions filler to brace the sides. They really don't have to be custom cut for the engine, but just a firm enough fit to prevent the engine from rolling around during transport. Some folks will you the inexpensive footlockers (you can find them at garage sales) and do something similiar with them if you want to assure that the exterior of the case doesn't get crushed. I've used old towels that my wife wants to eleminate and then some of the banker boxes (you can get 10 build up boxes from SAMs club). They come with handles punched into the ends and a lid. Some of the larger engines won't fit, so you have to make other arrangements. These methods basically work well when you are just driving between friends homes....if you are going to ship them via UPS or FEDEX or USPS....then you need to do it differently. Good luck....Ed


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## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

Here are the links to posts on my web site for a couple of home-built cases I made for my K-27 and C-19:

K-27 Case

C-19 Case


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

For my Bachmann Connie, I just use the original foam packing. After 6 years, they are still in good shape.

For my Accucraft C19 sparkie, I use a Back On Track steel carrying case. Overfill on protection for the loco and a little pricey. 
LINK: http://backontrackrr.com/

My Berlyn Workgoose #6, I use a small toolbox. These models are not big at all.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, Gary, or anyone offering or showing a loco carrying case: 

What is the empty weight of the case? It's tough to asses a case's practicality without knowing the empty weight. I think empty weight is the most important case spec second only to the overall case design.


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## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

For the two cases that I built, the K-27 case is 28 pounds empty. It's awkward enough to carry when empty and all but impossible for one person to carry very far when loaded. I usually just lift it onto and off of a small folding dolly when moving it to/from the car, shop or layout.

The C-19 case is quite a bit lighter ... about twelve pounds empty. I can carry it loaded between the workshop and the layout (about a hundred feet) without any difficulty.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

Sorry I missed you inclusion of weight in your webpage case descriptions.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

The engines that i have are 1 bachmann shay 2 bach climax 3 lgb forney 4 lgb mogel. The shay is the hardest because of the size. We live to wooster ohio home of rubber maid there is a outlet store there i think i will start there. Thanks for all of the ideas.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry that should read we live close to wooster ohio.


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's a link to my posting on how I carry my locos:

http://4largescale.com/Thompson/40.htm


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I got lucky and found a guy that was throwing out a case from a A/C live steam engine.
I can carry two GP 7's and a caboose, batteries, and controllers.

Don


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I use some plastic Craftsman toolboxes that I lined with eggshell foam. One case holds the loco, the other holds the tender and controls, and batteries or butane depending on how it's powered. The lid of the toolbox has compartments for small hand tools (screwdrivers, etc.) which is prefect for the syringes, etc. that I use to service the live steamers. I'll often use an old towel to wrap the loco before I put it in the case so the foam doesn't snag on small details. Empty, each case weighs a few pounds; not heavy at all. The tools in the lid add a bit to that, but not too much. 

Later, 

K


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

On my Aster Mikes, in addition to the fuel tube from the tender to the engine (which is somewhat difficult to detach and re-attach), I put servos in the tender gangway to control the throttle and blower levers in the cab of the engine, thus there are reach-rods across the gap, as well as a servo wire for the reverser servo under the smoke box; thus I prefer to keep the engine and tender coupled while moving it to and from storage. This makes carrying the locomotive difficult to carry any distance by hand.

Also I walk with a cane, so I am often stuck carrying everything with just one hand.

I found a "croquet game" on clearance at a surplus store. It was in a nice canvas carrying case that held all the parts for the game. All I wanted was the carry case, so I gave the mallets, balls and wickets to someone that had an old set with a good "carrying stand" but missing many of the other pieces.

The canvas carrying case was lined with thin pasteboard, so I removed it and inserted sheets of 1/8 inch plywood cut to the proper size (the plywood I found in the Kitchen Cabinet department of Menards. I had to ask for it as it is kept on a deck over the sales floor. It is used to build end panels around a refrigerator that match some models of cabinets. It comes in a sheet about 32 inches wide and just over 7 feet long.) This stiffened the case considerably, even though the plywood pieces are not joined to each other, but just in "pockets" formed by the inner and outer liners of the carrying case.

To get the engine in the case: I put a large rag (Knit "T-shirt" material, about 36 inches long and 18 inches wide) on the track and roll the engine and tender onto the rag. I then bring the sides up and together over the engine so I can pick everything up by gripping the rag. This I can lower into the croquet game carrying case easily, keeping the rag wrapped around the locomotive for some protection. Taking it out is just as easy and once on (or nearly so) the track I roll it off the rag (re-railing the wheels as I go). There is room for both of my Mikes or one locomotive and other items (like the treadmill I made) in the carrying case and maybe a small box or two of other items.

The carrying case has two sturdy handles in the center of the long sides that have a Velcro wrap that ties them together above the case for one-handed carrying. It also has a long shoulder strap that connects on the opposite ends of the length, but I usually just slip it in the the Velcro wrap as an extra support for the ends of the case. I can carry this easily with one hand, though with TWO engines it is quite heavy!!!

For the cars, I got a cardboard box, known as a "Bankers Box", from an office supply store. This is a box designed to hold standard letter sized documents if oriented across the narrow direction of the box, or legal sized documents if oriented across the long direction. I put this box in a large trash box to help keep the bottom dry if put on the ground and to provide a single handle when gathered over the top of the box. I normally run a train of two open top hoppers, two boxcars, two "Reefers", one covered hopper and a caboose. The hoppers and caboose are short enough to fit 3 in a row side by side with the couplers just barely touching the ends of the box (I always put the caboose on the bottom for reasons that will become evident soon). Over them, I can put two of boxcars or Reefers and and the one of the remaining open top short cars upside down. The upside down open top hopper goes over the caboose to protect the stove chimney sticking up. The two longer cars have their couplers laying on the edges of the box which holds them up off the cars below. I can then put the remaining two cars with their wheels nested into the wheels/trucks with the upside down cars. The open end of plastic trash bag is then gathered over it all as a single handle to carry it.

I also need to carry the requisite tools, alcohol fuel, steam oil, general oil, auxiliary blower and other bits and bobs, so I got a 2nd bankers box in a plastic bag for them (and sometimes another box when that 1st one gets overloaded with the bits and bobs!).

This means at least 3 trips from the storage are to the track (sometimes 4) ... or from storage to automobile and automobile to track when goin' visitin'... but each is easily carried by just one hand.

The plastic bags do get destroyed after a year or so, but they protect the boxes quite well so the boxes can last for several years. The Croquet canvas bag is lasted for about 10 years now and shows no signs of needing repair yet.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Its so much easier to invite folks over so i don't have to carry them.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Pete, 
There have been a couple of threads on this subject in the live steam section, like: 
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...ft/67537/afv/topic/afpgj/4/Default.aspx#76741 
and my later final version of my carrier on page 3 of: 
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...ft/86926/afv/topic/afpgj/5/Default.aspx#88531 
This should hopefully give you some more ideas. 
My carrying cases weight about 9 lbs. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Posted By NTCGRR on 25 Feb 2013 05:05 PM 
Its so much easier to invite folks over so i don't have to carry them. 

Yes, but then you open the refridgerator and all your beer is gone!


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