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Foam Inserts for IKEA ALEX Drawers and Plan Chests - Model Train Storage | Feldherr
<p>Open the drawer, pick your train, start running: With our custom-fit foam inserts, an IKEA ALEX drawer unit or a plan chest becomes a storage system for your model railway collection. Every locomotive and every piece of rolling stock rests in its own compartment - protected from dust, scratches and knocks, with no original boxes and no searching. We are starting with inserts for the IKEA ALEX drawer unit, with more furniture and plan chest formats to follow.</p> <h2>From office drawer unit to rolling stock cabinet</h2> <p>The same question comes up in model railway forums year after year: where do you put a growing collection? Original boxes pile up in the basement, unpacking and repacking eats into hobby time, and inside a cardboard box nobody can see which locomotive is where. Many railway modellers have long since settled on a practical answer: the IKEA ALEX drawer unit or a classic plan chest from the architectural supplies world. Flat, wide drawers, easy to get hold of, and they blend into any hobby room.</p> <p>What has been missing is an insert that actually fits. Cut-up bubble wrap shifts around, and generic foam from the hardware store can off-gas plasticisers that attack the paint and lettering on your models. That is exactly the gap this category closes: foam inserts matched to the drawer dimensions, made from a material you can trust with your collection.</p> <h2>A precise fit for the IKEA ALEX drawer unit</h2> <p>We are starting with inserts for the IKEA ALEX drawer unit - probably the most popular "unofficial model railway cabinet" there is. The inserts are cut to match the inner dimensions of the ALEX drawers and sit in place without sliding around. Drop the insert in, sort your models into the compartments, close the drawer.</p> <p>The foam ridges keep locomotives, coaches and wagons separated, so delicate parts such as pantographs, buffers, handrails and couplings never touch each other. Everything stays put when you open and close the drawer. At the same time, your whole collection is visible at a glance: pull out the drawer, take the model you want, done. No stacks of boxes, no cardboard archive, no guesswork.</p> <h2>Also for plan chests and other drawer furniture</h2> <p>With their flat, deep drawers, plan chests and flat file cabinets are made for storing rolling stock horizontally - especially once a collection runs into the hundreds. We are expanding our range of foam inserts for common plan chest formats step by step. If your cabinet is not covered yet: as a manufacturer with our own production, we also cut foam to your measurements. Just get in touch.</p> <p>For drawers with unusual dimensions, and for anyone who wants to stay flexible, there are also our zigzag train beds for cutting to size - a proven solution for cabinets and drawers that adapts to almost any piece of furniture.</p> <h2>Foam you can trust with your models</h2> <p>When foam stays in direct contact with painted models for years, the material matters. Our inserts are made from fine-pored, chlorine-free and acid-free foam - without aggressive plasticisers that could attack paintwork, printing or plastic parts. The foam is produced in Germany, just like our inserts for tabletop miniatures and board games, which have been protecting collections in display cabinets, cases and shelves around the world for more than 15 years.</p> <h2>For all common scales</h2> <p>Whether you run N, TT, HO or OO gauge: the compartment layouts are designed around the typical vehicle lengths and widths of each scale. In the shallow drawers, your models are stored lying down, guided on both sides by the foam ridges. That makes the most of the drawer height and fits considerably more vehicles than storage in original boxes.</p> <h2>Frequently asked questions</h2> <h3>Do the inserts fit every IKEA ALEX model?</h3><p>We are starting with inserts for the classic ALEX drawer unit (36 x 70 cm). Each product page lists the exact insert dimensions - it is worth quickly comparing them with the inner dimensions of your drawers, as IKEA has slightly changed the series over the years. Further ALEX variants will be added to the range over time.</p> <h3>Can I use the inserts in other cabinets?</h3><p>Yes. What matters are the inner dimensions of your drawer. Many inserts can also be trimmed with a sharp knife. For special dimensions, we produce made-to-measure cuts on request.</p> <h3>Will the foam damage the paintwork on my locomotives?</h3><p>No. Our foam is chlorine-free and acid-free and suitable for the long-term storage of painted and printed models.</p> <h3>Does a drawer also protect against dust?</h3><p>Closed drawers keep out most dust - far better than any open shelf. Furniture drawers are naturally not fully airtight. For transport to exhibitions and module meets, our range also includes bags, cases and euro containers with matching foam trays.</p> <h3>How much weight can an ALEX drawer take?</h3><p>IKEA states the load capacity of the drawers itself - with a lot of metal-bodied stock, it is worth checking the specifications of your unit. If in doubt, spread heavy locomotives across several drawers.</p> <p><em>IKEA and ALEX are registered trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Feldherr is not affiliated with IKEA. Our foam inserts are independently developed accessory products compatible with the furniture mentioned.</em></p>