diff --git a/tardis/conftest.py b/tardis/conftest.py
index 5eabacc395e..15222177777 100644
--- a/tardis/conftest.py
+++ b/tardis/conftest.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 from tardis.atomic import AtomData
 from tardis.io.config_reader import Configuration
 from tardis.io.util import yaml_load_config_file
+from tardis.simulation import Simulation
+from copy import deepcopy
 
 ###
 # Astropy
@@ -90,17 +92,19 @@ def atomic_data_fname():
     else:
         return os.path.expandvars(os.path.expanduser(atomic_data_fname))
 
-
-@pytest.fixture
-def kurucz_atomic_data(atomic_data_fname):
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def atomic_dataset(atomic_data_fname):
     atomic_data = AtomData.from_hdf5(atomic_data_fname)
-
     if atomic_data.md5 != '21095dd25faa1683f4c90c911a00c3f8':
         pytest.skip('Need default Kurucz atomic dataset '
                     '(md5="21095dd25faa1683f4c90c911a00c3f8"')
     else:
         return atomic_data
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def kurucz_atomic_data(atomic_dataset):
+    atomic_data = deepcopy(atomic_dataset)
+    return atomic_data
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def test_data_path():
@@ -117,3 +121,26 @@ def included_he_atomic_data(test_data_path):
 def tardis_config_verysimple():
     return yaml_load_config_file(
         'tardis/io/tests/data/tardis_configv1_verysimple.yml')
+
+###
+# HDF Fixtures
+###
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def hdf_file_path(tmpdir_factory):
+    path = tmpdir_factory.mktemp('hdf_buffer').join('test.hdf')
+    return str(path)
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def config_verysimple():
+    filename = 'tardis_configv1_verysimple.yml'
+    path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join('tardis/io/tests/data/', filename))
+    config = Configuration.from_yaml(path)
+    return config
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def simulation_verysimple(config_verysimple, atomic_dataset):
+    atomic_data = deepcopy(atomic_dataset)
+    sim = Simulation.from_config(config_verysimple, atom_data=atomic_data)
+    sim.iterate(4000)
+    return sim
diff --git a/tardis/model/base.py b/tardis/model/base.py
index c70ac7f513b..eda7363c135 100644
--- a/tardis/model/base.py
+++ b/tardis/model/base.py
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
 
 from tardis.util import quantity_linspace, element_symbol2atomic_number
 from tardis.io.model_reader import read_density_file, read_abundances_file
-from tardis.io.util import to_hdf
+from tardis.io.util import HDFWriterMixin
 from density import HomologousDensity
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class Radial1DModel(object):
+class Radial1DModel(HDFWriterMixin):
     """An object that hold information about the individual shells.
 
     Parameters
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ class Radial1DModel(object):
         Shortcut for `t_radiative`
 
     """
+    hdf_properties = ['t_inner', 'w', 't_radiative', 'v_inner', 'v_outer', 'homologous_density']
+    hdf_name = 'model'
+    
     def __init__(self, velocity, homologous_density, abundance, time_explosion,
                  t_inner, luminosity_requested=None, t_radiative=None,
                  dilution_factor=None, v_boundary_inner=None,
@@ -262,27 +265,6 @@ def v_boundary_outer_index(self):
             return None
         return self.raw_velocity.searchsorted(self.v_boundary_outer) + 1
 
-    def to_hdf(self, path_or_buf, path=''):
-        """
-        Store the model to an HDF structure.
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        path_or_buf
-            Path or buffer to the HDF store
-        path : str
-            Path inside the HDF store to store the model
-
-        Returns
-        -------
-        None
-
-        """
-        model_path = os.path.join(path, 'model')
-        properties = ['t_inner', 'w', 't_radiative', 'v_inner', 'v_outer']
-        to_hdf(path_or_buf, model_path, {name: getattr(self, name) for name
-                                         in properties})
-
     @classmethod
     def from_config(cls, config):
         """
diff --git a/tardis/model/density.py b/tardis/model/density.py
index 1652722ad6b..a7676a6d5c6 100644
--- a/tardis/model/density.py
+++ b/tardis/model/density.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 from tardis.util import quantity_linspace
+from tardis.io.util import HDFWriterMixin
 
-
-class HomologousDensity(object):
+class HomologousDensity(HDFWriterMixin):
     """A class that holds an initial density and time
 
     Parameters
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ class HomologousDensity(object):
     time_0 : astropy.units.Quantity
 
     """
+    hdf_properties = ['density_0', 'time_0']
+    
     def __init__(self, density_0, time_0):
         self.density_0 = density_0
         self.time_0 = time_0
diff --git a/tardis/model/tests/test_base.py b/tardis/model/tests/test_base.py
index 82dbbdbfaac..9053c7423de 100644
--- a/tardis/model/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/tardis/model/tests/test_base.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import os
+import pytest
+import pandas as pd
 from astropy import units as u
 from numpy.testing import assert_almost_equal, assert_array_almost_equal
 
@@ -202,3 +204,33 @@ def test_ascii_reader_exponential_law():
     for i, mdens in enumerate(expected_densites):
         assert_almost_equal(model.density[i].value, mdens)
         assert model.density[i].unit ==  u.Unit(expected_unit)
+
+###
+# Save and Load
+###
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module", autouse=True)
+def to_hdf_buffer(hdf_file_path, simulation_verysimple):
+    simulation_verysimple.model.to_hdf(hdf_file_path)
+
+model_scalar_attrs = ['t_inner']
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("attr", model_scalar_attrs)
+def test_hdf_model_scalars(hdf_file_path, simulation_verysimple, attr):
+    path = os.path.join('model', 'scalars')
+    expected = pd.read_hdf(hdf_file_path, path)[attr]
+    actual = getattr(simulation_verysimple.model, attr)
+    if hasattr(actual, 'cgs'):
+        actual = actual.cgs.value
+    assert_almost_equal(actual, expected)
+
+model_nparray_attrs = ['w', 'v_inner', 'v_outer']
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("attr", model_nparray_attrs)
+def test_hdf_model_nparray(hdf_file_path, simulation_verysimple, attr):
+    path = os.path.join('model', attr)
+    expected = pd.read_hdf(hdf_file_path, path)
+    actual = getattr(simulation_verysimple.model, attr)
+    if hasattr(actual, 'cgs'):
+        actual = actual.cgs.value
+    assert_almost_equal(actual, expected.values)
diff --git a/tardis/model/tests/test_density.py b/tardis/model/tests/test_density.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0f176c12236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tardis/model/tests/test_density.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import os
+import pandas as pd
+import pytest
+from numpy.testing import assert_almost_equal
+
+###
+# Save and Load
+###
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module", autouse=True)
+def to_hdf_buffer(hdf_file_path,simulation_verysimple):
+    simulation_verysimple.model.homologous_density.to_hdf(hdf_file_path)
+
+def test_hdf_density_0(hdf_file_path, simulation_verysimple):
+    actual = simulation_verysimple.model.homologous_density.density_0
+    if hasattr(actual, 'cgs'):
+        actual = actual.cgs.value
+    path = os.path.join('homologous_density','density_0')
+    expected = pd.read_hdf(hdf_file_path, path)
+    assert_almost_equal(actual, expected.values)
+
+def test_hdf_time_0(hdf_file_path, simulation_verysimple):
+    actual = simulation_verysimple.model.homologous_density.time_0
+    if hasattr(actual, 'cgs'):
+        actual = actual.cgs.value
+    path = os.path.join('homologous_density','scalars')
+    expected = pd.read_hdf(hdf_file_path, path)['time_0']
+    assert_almost_equal(actual, expected)
\ No newline at end of file