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After getting tired of having to crawl under the layout skirting to access a dresser with drawers converted to hold rolling stock, I made this multi-shelved "fiddle yard" that is readily accessible. I park it under the shelf extention for my car float scene. I used pre-cut shelving material for convenience.
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Each shelf holds these plastic garden trays. I stacked two trays into each other for extra strength. The pattern on the bottom of the tray actually does a nice job holding cars in place as the trucks rest in them.
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The assembly is on wheels so I can roll it anywhere I might want to place or remove rolling stock.
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This should enhance operations as I can quickly add or remove cars from the car float or other industries before or during sessons.
Very nice! I'm using something similar, although it's ready-to-run, so to speak. My brother-in-law gave me a 30 drawer metal tool/parts box on rollers that I'm going to use to store the off-line cars. Each drawer can hold up to 5 - HO cars (up to 60ft length models), crosswise in the drawers. I'm just going to put some thin foam in the bottom of the drawers and place the tool box at the staging end of the layout and see how it works out.
Neat, looks good. A nice solution. Thumbsup Just remember, when you get around my age, you're probably going to forget what you have in the bottom two bins... Eek Yup, it happens to us all, can't reach them, and if you can, you can't get back up. Confusedhock:
Good idea ! I think what Don said about the bottom trays would do it for me , too . They probably wouldn't get used too often . 357 Looks like that trolley just barely fits under the benchwork if need be ?

T
Great use of those garden trays---every spring I end up throwing my used ones in the recycling bin,not this year---thanks Ralph Thumbsup
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Great idea..I like the idea of using plastic gardening trays.

I recall seeing something similar in MRC or MR many years ago but,yours seems to be a better design.


I'm going to steal the idea of using gardening trays.I'm going to use them for "interchange" car storage since cars will be rotated for Slate Creek operation.

Danke.
A very simple, inexpensive and elegant solution to a problem. Thumbsup
Great solution to a bending over back breaking problem. Cheers I wish I had room for about 50 yard tracks so they would all fit on the layout, but I will have enough space on the eye level wall shelf for out of use cars I hope, as long as I can stop myself from buying any more. Goldth
Charlie
Gardening trays! In the words of the Guinness Brothers - GENIUS!!!
Thank you gentlemen! The new fiddle yard has kept me from some bad habits like placing freight cars on the step stools I use to access the back of parts of the layout...I just knew I'd eventually step on a boxcar some day! It sure is easy now to pull cars off the car float and place them on a tray, making the float yard ready for more action.
Ralph:
with a little bit of effort you may be able to make each tray represent a sailing (or a day's sailing) of the carferry. Heck, they already look like a row of barges in that cabinet.
Then you just pull the one you want. or shift them up each time and add the new one at the bottom.
That's a great idea David. I think I could have a couple of trays dedicated to that purpose while others might be arranged to set up trains such as a local run with all the approrpaite cars for industries along the line.
Looks neat as well as effective Ralph Thumbsup

Think I'll be rethinking my off layout storage!

Cheers,

Kev