MartyE posted:sahan posted:Thanks for the tips. How about keeping it in the box nose up?
I wouldn't. Smoke fluid leaks out of the unit and onto the boards and could be an expensive fix. Trust me I know. Wheels down is the only way I store engines with smoke units.
Agreed. Plus, even with proper packing, storing a locomotive nose up puts excessive pressure on the rear of the model, possibly damaging or distorting some plastic parts over time.
As for the smoke fluid question, you should add enough to keep the wick moist to prevent it from drying out in storage, but not so much that the fluid will quickly spill out if the model is tilted briefly. MTH and Lionel have both recommended storing them moistened.
However, you could always opt to simply replace the wicking once it is dried out if you prefer the security of not having any smoke fluid present to damage your locomotives.
I prefer to store mine with some smoke fluid in place.
