After quite a break without making any stock boxes, I decided the time had come to put my coaching stock in some semblance of order. I had coaches in the original manufacturers boxes, cheap cardboard replacements and some kit built ones with no boxes at all.

I stuck to my original specification for these new coach boxes and used the same materials and methods that I used for my Loco boxes. The complete spec. appears earlier on this site under Stock Boxes.

I decided what coaches would be in what box and then worked out the required size(s). While I wanted a comfortable fit, I did not want any wasted spaces. I also thought of Exhibiting and tried to make life as easy as possible, keeping the weight down and keeping the rakes and era’s together was the priority.

I did a quick cost and it works out at about 30 pounds per 5 coach-box.

Over the last few weeks I have been making stock boxes for my O gauge steam loco’s. Up until recently I kept most of them in a communal stock box that held about six loco’s, trouble was they were very heavy and getting more difficult to carry about. I decided to consign the larger box to wagons and/or carriages so that it would become manageable. As I don’t have any large loco’s at present I  decided to  make them in three sizes. Size one, ‘Small Tank’, size two ‘Large Tank’ and size three ‘Small Tender’.

I wanted to achieve a box that was light, strong and stackable for storage. After a few experiments with some old stock wood left over from the business, I decided to use Obeche for the sides and base, a harder wood for the ends, its name escapes me and MDF for the Lid. All would be held together with  ‘angle’ softwood. I also decided to ‘cork line’ the inside and use Cork to hold the loco firmly,  I used various thickness to achieve this. As an alternative to the end pieces of cork I use pieces of foam.