So where does one get empty boxes for rolling stock & locos??? I have recently purchased a few Peco tank wagons (x5), a Farish tank wagon (x1), and two Farish GWR Suburban coaches....but all came without boxes/cases. Hence, my question. Hope someone in the community can offer some advice.

Many people discard or store their original boxes and use foam trays or things like the kato book sets as it makes for better storage/shelf space saving.

There are a few threads on here regarding those it I don't recall exactly which ones they are, I'm sure someone will either link them, mentioned the items in them or you could try the search function with foam trays as a starting point.

I've used some old VHS cases and cut a foam insert for rolling stock which came without boxes.
Another option is to get hold of small boxes which are sold for jewelry presentation & packaging - you can find them on ebay. 

Occasionally you see people selling original boxes on eBay, but they're virtually worthless, as most have some sort of inner liner which is model specific.

There are lots of threads on storage methods. JB's Model World do foam trays designed around Really Useful Boxes plastic cases, which are popular. They come in a range of sizes to suit long or short wheelbases and numbers thereof.

I've got a carry case from Avocations which has 5 storage trays in a sturdy cardboard box. Not sure I'd want to use it for regular exhibition use (as it is cardboard), but for 'off layout' storage it's excellent.

Lots of options on ebay.

Yes, I am aware of the foam trays and such you can get from K&R and other vendors. Do PECO and Dapol sell empty boxes to customers?

I buy small boxes from Hobbycraft and cut up their foam board to make partitions inside. Boxes cost about £3 and the foam board, which will do I think four boxes £10. I get 24 mk1s in a box.
At curent prices that is about £900 worth of stock in one little box! Glad I bought mine a while back.

Quote from: Doc Pye on December 17, 2019, 08:43:37 AM
Yes, I am aware of the foam trays and such you can get from K&R and other vendors. Do PECO and Dapol sell empty boxes to customers?

Not that I am aware of, as I said, the problem is that they're all largely bespoke, so keeping a stock of boxes would be wholly untenable. The outer sleeves are generic, but there's always an inlay which isn't.

If you don't want to go down the generic box route then keep them on the layout, display them or wrap in bubble wrap and store carefully!

It's why unboxed stuff is generally worth markedly less.

My boxes from Hobbycraft






They are very space effecient and make it easy to carry a lot of stock at once. I keep all the original boxes in store in the garage. Generally speaking I think continually getting stock in and out of original packaging is not good for it because it is a tight fit.

Very neat! Agree that using original boxes isn't ideal - the boxes become tired and it's very easy to break off small details, particularly with the dense yellow foam that Dapol used to use.

These are the Avocations ones I've got, I think it was £30 for 5 trays and the box, so not as cheap as Chris's, but also very little effort. The trays all have little 1"x1" cubes of foam you pull out to suit:

Untitled by njee20, on Flickr

Untitled by njee20, on Flickr

Locos live in their original boxes, but I keep all the boxes for rolling stock in my loft and the stock lives in bespoke storage trays that I make myself. It's much quicker for setting out and packing away at shows.  Whoever gets the job of matching stock to box after I've passed on is in for one hell of a challenge 

Occasionally I do pickup empty original boxes but only if they're stupidly cheap.  If the inner liner is missing then I make something from expanded polystyrene.   I'm no particularly bothered for myself, but if I service something for my German friend I like to send it back in a reasonable box if it didn't come in one!

At present I keep/transport all mine on the liftout tray of a large toolbox in which I transport Coniston's removable buildings. A couple of old teatowels laid on top of the tray prevents the stock rattling around.

However, as I will need to purchase more stock to populate more stations (I knew there'd be a downside to not sticking just to Coniston) I'll need more storage so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.

I came across these a while back - no idea if any good, as have not used, but look decent enough if you have a specific loco you want to protect in its own separate box.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-Locomotive-Display-or-Storage-Box-N-Scale-for-Graham-Farish-Lima-Dapol-etc/232996932413?hash=item363fb30b3d:g:MikAAOSwVBVb4x5p

Cheers,
Alan