N gauge bookcases for European rolling-stock

[Giugiaro]

I fell in love with the N Gauge Bookcases they have for Japanese models.

They've been a revolution at home for train storage and the best impression N Gauge gave compared to my experience with HO Gauge.

 

But I was disappointed when I ordered a KATO 10-213 Bookcase for jewel box cases. I found out the hard way that Arnold cases are just 10mm larger than they should to fit in the book.

 

Does anyone know of a readily available bookcase that can hold Arnold jewel boxes?

Edited June 11, 2022 by disturbman
Grammar

[JR East]

If you look at CASCO, you may find something 

 

 

https://www.plazajapan.com/search-results/?q=casco case

 

I've seen several posts of @disturbman on them incl. how he's customizing sleevers

 

 

 

 

JM. 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by JR East

[disturbman]

My advice would be simple: get rid of the jewels 😉 or store them away while their content is safely inside a case.

 

You can store almost anything European inside Japanese/Casco urethanes, even Eurofirma coaches.

 

@Yavianicehas a lot of experience doing so.

 

I think Casco recently released a case that could hold severe Kato jewels. I don’t know the comparative dimensions.

[Giugiaro]

Thank you @disturbman

 

I looked into it. The Arnold cases I own have consistently been 204x53,5x27mm.

 

I don't have any old Arnold cases, so I can't tell if they share the same size.

From some photos of the old CP Corails, they seem to have been shorter in the past.

 

I know that Fleischman jewel cases fit snugly inside the KATO 10-213. I experimented a few weeks ago at a local hobby shop.

Roco should be the same.

 

Interestingly the KATO 10-1716 DB ET 425 box is exactly the same 204mm width as the Arnold cases.

I don't own more of these styrofoam sets from KATO, but it's starting to smell fishy.

 

And I don't see any fish in my workplace... 🤔

Edited June 11, 2022 by Giugiaro
DB ET 425, not 245

[railsquid]

Yeah, I just came here to say that Fleischmann coach cases fit just nicely into Kato 10-213s.

 

Casco do urethane inserts designed for 25m cars, i.e. Shinkansens, I am fairly sure I have one somewhere I use to store 1:160 26m European coaches but can't remember exactly, will see if I can locate it.

 

My boxed Arnold stock lives in boxes from the 100 yen shop which are just the right width for pretty much anything.

[disturbman]

19 hours ago, railsquid said:

Casco do urethane inserts designed for 25m cars, i.e. Shinkansens, I am fairly sure I have one somewhere I use to store 1:160 26m European coaches but can't remember exactly, will see if I can locate it.

Yes, that's what we have been recommending on Discord. 25m cars urtehane inserts for Eurofirma (26m) coaches. The issue is the restaurant cars, as they need some cutting to fit inside.

There is also the possibility to use Minitown bookcases, if some are still available on TaoBao. They are made to fit CNR coaches, which are as long as European stock. I quite like Chinese bookcases, as they are made of a good carboard and close with a magnet system.

@GiugiaroIf I were you, I would definitely import a few Casco cases. They are much more versatile than Kato's and can be easily customized. There is no need to store the jewels inside the cases. I would look on Hobby Search to see what they have, or what Casco has produced in the past. Popondetta urethane inserts are also very good.

I firmly believe that there is a market for custom-made cases/urethanes to store European rolling-stock.

Edited June 11, 2022 by disturbman

[Giugiaro]

4 hours ago, disturbman said:

25m cars urtehane inserts for Eurofirma (26m) coaches.

@GiugiaroIf I were you, I would definitely import a few Casco cases. They are much more versatile than Kato's and can be easily customized. There is no need to store the jewels inside the cases. I would look on Hobby Search to see what they have, or what Casco has produced in the past. Popondetta urethane inserts are also very good.

 

From Plaza Japan I think those would be the YP-547 and YP-548 cases.

 

Does Casco have a website? I'd like to peek further into their catalogue if possible. I tried to search for Casco梱包, but the only thing I get from Google is Japanese ship hulls (Hull is Casco in Portuguese)

[disturbman]

https://casco.blog.ss-blog.jp/

 

If you want an online catalogue, Hobby Search is still the easiest to navigate: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=104&cat=rail&target=Make&sortid=6&searchkey=Casco

[Yavianice]

Popondetta foams are better than Casco foams. Worth considering, because the Eurofirma foams tend to be out of stock very often.

[Giugiaro]

Oh, I understand now!

So it's possible to buy cases and foams separate, meaning I can mix and match things together.

There's more than the "Case + Foam" option.

 

It becomes a bit trickier to take decisions when buying something this finicky while not having them physically in my hands to examine and test.

Anyway, from what I could see, the YP-063 and YP-064 would be very useful, given their flexibility. I have a few short rolling stock that could use these.

 

But, like @Yavianice already said, Popondetta is better than Casco, as Popondetta uses Polyethylene foam, while Casco uses Polyurethane.

I don't have experience with none, so I can't tell the difference 😂

 

EDIT: Polyethylene is recyclable.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Giugiaro

[Yavianice]

@Giugiaro The Eurofirma foams (always 8 car foams) fit in "ordinary" sized cases (most typical KATO cases and standard CASCO cases). Yes you can mix and match foams and cases, for example if you have a KATO case left over.

 

Popondetta Foam is better than Casco because it has more removable areas so you can make the cars fit perfectly. Also it has a few extra side foams that you can tear off in case you have a larger than expected case.

[disturbman]

Popondetta foams fit a higher number of cases than Casco, they are also my go to foam insert if I have the choice. I woulw have suggested a mix-and-match of Casco case and Popondetta foam if you can't find a "1-in-2" case, with the correct foam inside.

 

10 hours ago, Giugiaro said:

It becomes a bit trickier to take decisions when buying something this finicky while not having them physically in my hands to examine and test.

That's the point of the community, sharing tips and experiences.

[Giugiaro]

I got on my wishlist the Casco YP-590 and the Popondetta 1601.
By now, it should be enough to keep my six DEV Inox cars in a more convenient package.

 

I'm wondering if the Kato 10-212 would be ideal for my four Costa coaches, as they are significantly shorter than the Eurofima cars and I own exactly four of them.

[Giugiaro]

Well, let's see if this goes well...

 

[Giugiaro]

Looking good! 

 

Some details may need polishing here and there, but overall much better than dealing with 16 individual cases 😁

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by Giugiaro

[disturbman]

Looks good. You chose to alternate the placements instead of having a line. I'm 90% sure those old timer coaches could fit into a CASCO mini-case.

[Welshbloke]

It would be enormously helpful if Kato just offered some of the inserts they already make as empty cases, like the one from the pack of four Amfleets which can hold six 85' passenger cars and a loco. Cases accommodating stock over 21m long are hard to find, the Casco Shinkansen ones (like the one my Class 91 and MK4s live in) seem to sell out very quickly.

 

The especially annoying part is that the standard Japanese cases get admiring comments in the UK modelling media, but nobody is copying them with empty cases to the same standard here.