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The use of the original box that a Steam, Diesel, Passenger car and Freight cars come in is not necessarily the best thing to do in caring for your brass models. This is also true of plastic items. As far as freight cars are concerned I have destroyed all the individual boxes and store them in large storage boxes as explained below.
The modeler should always keep the original box and keep it in the best condition possible. The exception is those boxes for plastic freight cars. If the modeler is going to run his brass trains then he or she should provide a different container for steady use.
The use of the original box for a steam engine, as an example, is not good for the box or for the engine. In lifting the engine out of the box may damage tubes, pipes, fine wire and other overhanging parts by catching on the foam. Even though you have wrapped the engine and tender in plastic, the sharp pieces can still catch on the foam. The foam can also be damaged from overuse in removing and replacing the engine and tender. Handling the box over and over will cause heavy wear to the outside of the box.
In contrast, if you intend to store the brass models for any length of time you should keep them in their original boxes.
There are several alternate storage containers that are ideal for the short term storage and use of your brass models. Several manufactures produce boxes for this kind of need. In this article I am going to discuss three manufacturers and their respective containers that I am very familiar with.
The first is the HO and N gauge HOBBY-TOTE STORAGE CONTAINER SYSTEM produced by A-line Arrow Hobby division of Proto Power West. I use this system for all of my freight cars. The system may be used for whatever the modeler desires as far as rail equipment is concerned. The boxes are simple to assemble and come with foam padding to protect your brass and plastic models. All engines and cars stand on their wheels with a foam floor. I also use this type of box for the majority of my diesel engines.
The second is Grand Central Gems Inc. storage boxes. They produce two types of boxes B-1 and B-2. The B-1 holds four small steam locomotives and most diesels. The B-2 is for medium to large steam engines and diesels. These boxes contain deep slotted foam so the engines can stand on their wheels and are very well protected. There is a foam pad that goes on top of the engines so the engines are completely protected. I use these boxes primarily for brass steam engines.
The third is Axian Technology, Inc. Model Railroading HO and N gauge storage boxes. These boxes have slotted and beveled foam with foam strips attached to the box cover. Rail models are set on their sides in the slotted foam. I use these boxes for plastic and brass steam engines as well as all my passenger cars. This type of box can hold four articulated steam engines and as many as six moderate sized steam engines. They hold eight passenger cars.
I use the Axian boxes for streamliners which includes the diesel F units. Generally I need two boxes to hold a complete train. In some cases it takes three boxes depending how many passenger cars are in the set.
Since I use all three types of boxes aforementioned, I try and keep engines and passenger cars in order of the railroads I model. I create colored labels on my PC which depict the name of railroad along with my name that I place on each box.
All three of the manufacturers can be found on the WEB. There are other manufacturers as I pointed out in the beginning of this article. I have looked at them but have found the ones I have written about meet my needs the best. I do recommend that you Google "Model Train Storage Boxes" and see for yourself.
Michael Ball has been involved in the restoration and maintaining of a variety of Brass Model Locomotives. Through their years of expertise, Mr. Ball has perfected the art of train restoration often spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotives to running condition of even the newest Brass Model Replicas. Receive their free newsletter at http://www.brasslocomotiveworks.com