# storage



## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Been buying G trains for a bunch of years (over 13 on ebay) and I have a bunch. Just wanted to see if there were any great ideas on storage like some ideal storage boxes or that sort of thing.

Doug


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Doug,
I use several solutions that will be changing as my railroad grows. I've been colelcting for many years (sounds like you have too?) I worked part time at a hobby shop that sold large scale among many other hobby items and started my large scale trains journey there. Shortly after the LGB convention in the early 90's there is when I caught the bug. My first storage was simply stacking the boxes where I had room in my hobby room. The first layout was to be on tables in teh basemnt of my first house with my first wife. unfortunately that basement was VERY wet pretty regularly. the trians lived on top of the benchwork there that was never finsihed. A move from that house and relationship and the next step was to build some shelves from two 24 inch deep wooden pallets from work that were about 40 inches high. I ripped a piece of 3/4" thick plywood down to 24 inches and screwed that to the "leg"s in the middle of the pallet and the top. I set that shelf set on top of 4 cement blocks set 2 more pallets on the floor and stacked all my trains on that set of shelves. Those shelves have last 4 moves now. They are still set up in my garage now. When we moved into this house I needed more shelves. I ahve a workshop in the basement and planned on doing my maintenance down there. As we moved into the house some remodelling took place. the 3 bedrooms upstairs had sliding by pass doors on the closets. Hate those as they do nto stay on track. So down they came. That provided six Hollowcore doors for shelves in the workshop. Someone else noted someplace (online & at a club meeting) that they used discarded breadtrays (obtained legally) for selving and transport. So I built a rack in the basement next to the hollowcore shelves. 








The 










3 bedrooms in the basement had bi-fold doors on them and those too came out.Ii saved all the hollowcore doors there too for future shelves. They will likely get the longer cars set on wooden rails glued lengthwise on the shelves. I do not have a space for those yet. My plan at some point is to make a storage shed in the backyard specifically for trains near the layout someplace. I also think that a train shed similar to some that many folks have built and posted to these pages will end up on my line. That is in the future though adn will depend on how far and how fast the expansions go. At this point my layout exists as a simple oval at the south east corner in front of the house and will progress east and north along the side of the house. I've got a fair sized amount of property along that side of the house. The current garage sits near the back of my property forward of the Northwest corner of our lot. So what I foresee now is an L shaped layout, running along two sides of our property. There will liekly be a large terminus someplace near the garage. Potentially near the north east corner of the lot as well and a smaller one near where the oval is now. 

Chas


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I built some rolling storage cabinets, withstand the weather, roll up to the tracks, have grooves inside for the wheels:


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello 
It is crazy how much space these large scale trains take up. I have 2 large book cases in the extra living room to display my favorite trains. The book cases allow me to set them sideways so the road names are visible and I can put them 2 deep. Sometimes I rotate them to back to front to keep the display interesting and fresh. I also have another book case in the basement for more trains. My wife is very understanding to let me keep my trains in the "train room" . 
The bread trays sound like a great idea. I once saw a video of a HUGE layout and the guy had literally hundreds maybe into the thousands of rolling stock. He had them stored on bread trays and had many bread tray racks. You may have seen them in super markets about 7 feet tall with wheels. if you had such an arrangement you could store alot of trains per rack. 
Todd


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

We started out with small storage tubs, then roll outs like Greg E. did, then one cart, then this and still not enough storage. I probably could fill another set of carts like these.. 
I even had to put on a storage cabinet on the front of one cart to hold the little people.. 











Pull the tong pin and can suck in the tong to save space in the garage when not pulling them out to the layout.. Just one idea, but think of the future. "It's going to grow when you are not looking" Laf.


















We were thinking of another trailer to put on the back of the trailer show en but not sure is could make the " S " turn around the side of the house. If tires are air up OK, then these two are real easy to pull the ( I think ) 300 lbs or so.


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## Therios (Sep 28, 2008)

So I DEFINITELY think this is an addiction when you need and engine to pull your trains in their storage containers... he he... gotta love it.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

And they are all full. But I'm NOT an addict!!!!


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

I store some of mine outside, in my buildings.

This one holds 16 cars:

















This one holds 6:









The rest live in carriers that I built. Each has a handle that allows me to easily carry it.



























They fit onto shelves in the garage, but they are also stackable.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Marty, 
Are all your storage tracks able to run into? Looks like a lot of storage. Are all those centerbeam's scratch-built? 
Craig


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

We seen Marty's idea and did one about the same at our set up area. Not as many tracks, only has three tracks now, but thinking of maybe two more as a split inside of the 12 foot building. 

Set up storage area. 

 Then we have this one in wilsonville that is 10 foot long.


Wilsonville town eng. house

Wilsonville town eng. house 1 



But we are not Addicted either.. laf... like Marty said.
But........... still not enough storage.. Should of did the layout in a large building. Wouldn't have to pick up anything or look for a place to store toys..


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I guess I did forget one.
My goal has always been to make it as simple as possibile to access trains.
this is an older photo, all locos are in, well most , in main shop.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Marty, who has been cleaning in your shop, it looks pretty good.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

You guys amaze me. Now what I want to know is how many of these storage devices (especially the ones where they are stored outside) were designed specifically to keep your wives from knowing you have them!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well here is another adaptation. Later RJD


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## Geared loco (Oct 14, 2016)

I was looking for a cheap a d easy way to store and move my rolling stock from my garage to my deck where my layout is located. 
I found a metal rack at a yard sale for $25 had wood laying around and some zip ties to prevent the cars from rolling out when I moved the rack from garage to the deck. Found a BBQ cover at lowes on clearance fot $5 so I can 
leave the rack on the deck now until winter then I will roll it to the garage until spring. 
I have 32 cars and over 50 Styrofoam logs in it. 
Make life so much easier not having to carry cars in and out all the time. I still store my engines inside on a display shelf.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Good idea:


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## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

That’s a huge investment. Wow.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It and his marriage are all gone now.


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