Where to get/how to choose bookshelf cases

[gavino200]

Most of my Japanese trains have bookshelf cases, which I love. I store them on a bookshelf and they're always easy to find. My older American trains spend most of their time in storage. From time to time I like to run them though. A problem is that it's a real pain in the arse getting them out. I'd really like to get bookshelf cases for them. But the bookshelf cases seem to be pretty train specific. How can I find cases that will fit these trains? 

 

I'd like to get cases for these sets (except for the double and tripple Morning Daylight cars). 

 

But also I'd love to get Bookshelf, or better still, clear cases for the Microtrains freight cars. They come in horrible kid-unfriendly plastic boxes that break easily, and take up a lot of space unless you stack them (in which case you can't see what you're looking for?)

 

I also have a bunch of loose passenger cars that I'd like to have homes for. Any solutions?

 

 

These are the horrible microtrains boxes I'm talking about.

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by gavino200

[Welshbloke]

Kato, Tomix and Casco all make foam lined cases. The problem is that they're all designed around standard Japanese car lengths so you may need to do some measuring and trimming.

 

Can't comment on Casco yet (have a couple of their empty cases on order) but Kato and Tomix make good ones.

[railsquid]

4 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

Kato, Tomix and Casco all make foam lined cases. The problem is that they're all designed around standard Japanese car lengths so you may need to do some measuring and trimming.

 

 

Height may also be an issue...

 

A solution I've adopted to home the increasing amount of cheap unboxed stock I keep acquiring is to customize some empty Kato clear plastic cases by lining the bottom with foamboard and cutting surplus foam inserts from various booksets to size to hold each item in place, then keep store the boxes inside an empty Kato case (e.g. 10-213). Not pretty but it works.

Kato customized boxes by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[gavino200]

I see these are available. I could probably cut and clue foam until I get a good fit. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0003KCPIW/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3341940462&pd_rd_wg=NjKE7&pf_rd_r=XTFD38MCGETBJ1QEWSVS&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B0003KCPIW&pd_rd_w=1TTWy&pf_rd_i=kato+car+storage+box&pd_rd_r=993e7c8f-5b29-42af-817c-bad92ff50e79&ie=UTF8&qid=1510798841&sr=2

[gavino200]

Or this. Looks like it would work for The Santa Fe. Maybe the Daylight too. The vertical slot could be opened up to make room for the double car. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Kato-Gauge-Train-PlaRail-Model/dp/B007RXCMJU/ref=pd_sim_21_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MK649044MXANBJCR7BTK

 

This guy has done a nice job of it.

 

https://www.locgeek.com/2015/06/good-idea-kato-n-storage-boxes/kato-10214-8-car-box-5_lgk/

Edited November 16, 2017 by gavino200

[cteno4]

These work great to Saw out the shapes you want from foam. Much more control than using xacto. Trace out your pattern, poke the blade thru and attach to Saw and go at it. For center ones you need to go at it from both sides. If you have access to a power scroll Saw they work great to cut these out

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/K9-Metal-frame-saw-Wooden-handle-Jewelers-Tool/253179291923?epid=1680508606&hash=item3af2a96913:g:wE8AAOSwiDFYOTtM

 

jeff

[katoftw]

If you get the hard foam type.  You can use a regular sharp kitchen knife to cut the shape you require.

[gavino200]

7 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

These work great to Saw out the shapes you want from foam. Much more control than using xacto. Trace out your pattern, poke the blade thru and attach to Saw and go at it. For center ones you need to go at it from both sides. If you have access to a power scroll Saw they work great to cut these out

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/K9-Metal-frame-saw-Wooden-handle-Jewelers-Tool/253179291923?epid=1680508606&hash=item3af2a96913:g:wE8AAOSwiDFYOTtM

 

jeff

Thanks. I'll pick one of those up. I absolutely can't let myself use a power saw. I do all my sawing the old fashioned way. 

[gavino200]

3 minutes ago, katoftw said:

If you get the hard foam type.  You can use a regular sharp kitchen knife to cut the shape you require.

You mean the usual grey Kato foam?

[katoftw]

Yes that density.  Tomix, Kato, Casco all do similar density foam.

[cteno4]

Hand saw with a round scroll blade in it is nice as you can cut all the little details (i.e. Trucks, pantograph, couplers, antennas etc) you want onto the shape that You can't do cleanly with a knife.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

On 11/15/2017 at 10:15 PM, cteno4 said:

Hand saw with a round scroll blade in it is nice as you can cut all the little details (i.e. Trucks, pantograph, couplers, antennas etc) you want onto the shape that You can't do cleanly with a knife.

 

jeff

 

You mean one of these things? 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Proxxon-round-blade-for-Scroll-saw-12-Saw-blades-130-mm-without-Transverse-pin/352123226561?hash=item51fc2e09c1:g:EswAAOSwXedZ0g40

 

They're super weird looking. How exactly do you use them? What's the idea?

[Kiha66]

I believe a round blade lets you cut in any direction, also known as a spiral blade. 

[cteno4]

yep the spiral ones let you cut in all directions, I have a set of very fine ones I picked up on ebay.

 

this is more like the size to cut light foam

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SPIRAL-JEWELERS-WAX-SAW-BLADES-3-SWISS-MADE/280640589814?hash=item41577b8ff6:g:J8oAAOxyMZ5RnTZX:sc:USPSFirstClass!20817!US!-1

 

But you need a coping Saw that has flat clamps to hold these. Many deeper coping saws need little end tabs to hold the blade ends.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/ToolUSA-5-Inch-Adjustable-Jewelers-Wooden/dp/B00VUGEXGA/ref=sr_1_7?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1511158555&sr=1-7&keywords=Jeweler's%2Bsaw&th=1

 

another option is to put a spiral bit into a rotary tool and route out your inserts. Cuts like a hot knife thru butter easy pezie but messy.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Dremel-561-Multipurpose-Cutting-Bit/dp/B00004UDIB/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1511158076&sr=1-2&keywords=Rotary+tool+spiral

 

cheers

 

jeff