Design a layout to ship abroad...

Weight solution: Make it all with foamboard (card laminated onto foam, usually found from discarded advertising displays in shop windows, or bought from art shops). Tony Simms 2mm layout, Masham, is foamboard baseboard throughout and has been on the exhibition circuit (and still would be except that Tony now has a different job which means working every weekend).

Foamboard stuck together with hot-melt glue gun, using similar design principles as the open mesh structure ply layouts (Rice/Norman, etc. etc). Only place you need to go away from foamboard is any baseboard joins (Tony avoided them!).

If bothered about a bit of extra strength when setup, add a wooden frame which is left in the UK, and you make another in Aus.

For shipping, aluminium angle would strengthen the corners of the package.

If you want a really secure package, I could recommend ABS Cases (

), owned by a friend of mine. No idea what the commercial price of his custom cases are (not cheap, made to measure never is). The company owner is an very good railway modeller, so understands what you are transporting.

- Nigel

seal

(then

The above is going to be your biggest problem, all the others are down to cost (what someone is willing to pay, anything, any weight and any size can be shipped etc.) when you are dealing with is mother nature - even the wood used might cause problems - IOM this is the single aspect you need to concentrate on first. If you can't solved, work around, the above the other problems don't even enter the equation.

Do I understand from what you are asking that you are building a layout to be shipped to Australia on completion. Are you are building for a customer/friend or are you building it for yourself then coming to Australia? What part of Australia is it going to?

Kevin Martin

Already in Australia

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies, I'll look at using foamboard, probably with a wood spine that'll hold the hinges. Thanks Nigel.

Jerry, you're right cost will overcome the transportation and the effect of temperature/humidity difference is really the only unknown area to me.

Kevin, the layout is a present to a young relative in Perth.

Cheers

Paul

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies, I'll look at using foamboard, probably with a wood spine that'll hold the hinges. Thanks Nigel.

Jerry, you're right cost will overcome the transportation and the effect of temperature/humidity difference is really the only unknown area to me.

Kevin, the layout is a present to a young relative in Perth.

Cheers

Paul

One thing not mentioned so far is quarantine. Australia is very strict on importation of wooden items (or, more broadly, items containing wood) and you may find yourself in difficulty with this. At the very least you will probably have to pay for fumigation (I've no idea what effect that might have on other materials used on the layout) and the worst case would be prohibition of import and subsequent destruction of the item. All at your (or the importer's, if somebody different) expense of course!

Take a look at

G'day Paul, Why not build it in Australia? The money you save on Shipping can be spent on the Layout or the Rolling Stock. Graeme Hearn

Bloody good point, I hadn't realised that, after reading the site you posted, `All articles imported into Australia containing wood are subject to quarantine and may require treatment or inspection to address the risk of introducing pests and diseases into Australia`. Now wood seems less attractive. Thanks for the `Heads Up` John.

So, I guess it's an all plastic / foamboard baseboard I should start looking at.

IIRC I think you can stay 3 months on a holiday visa, possibly longer if sponsored by relatives, how long would you need to build a layout if you took the track, loco and building kits etc out with you?!... :~)

Unfortunately time off work doesn't permit a 3 month stay. But what a suggestion, 3 months holiday in Oz to do nowt else but build a layout!

Yes, this is where I was heading to. If there is a hint of infestation the quarantine people may well incinerate the whole lot before the layout gets seen. A worst case scenario perhaps (spraying may be a possibility too, which may cause scenery to run) but Paul needs to be aware of any implications.

Check out the following link on timber types, in particular in regard to reconstituted timber products. This may be a way through because of the process of making say MDF, i.e. it is a process involving heat.

http:

You can find more detail by following the ICON prompt and entering the type of wood you will be using i.e. MDF.

I think the problems you mentioned Paul, in regard to passing through the Tropics are not perhaps the most important.

Another idea Paul, perhaps an option might be is to find someone in Perth prepared to build it for you. There is a branch of the BRMA there.

Regards

Kevin Martin

First off, 600x1100mm is a nice size for (trans-)portable N layout. I recently mocked up a 300x9000mm one, with a frame 20mm deep covered with a 1/4" skin (luauan plywood) and a 25mm layer of extruded foam as scenic base. The track bed was another layer of foam, with cork glued to it, and track glued and pinned to the cork. Sofar, so good: I've had a train coircling the track, moved the thing from one room to another several times, etc.

After reading the exchange so far, I vote with those who suggest foam board and/or plastic sheet and extruded foam as the basic materials. If you use an aircraft-style framework for the base, made of laminated foam board and 80 to 100mm deep, it will be more than rigid enough. Glue at least a single layer of foam board on top. Use pins and carpenter's glue or construction adhesive to hold it together.

But I suspect you'll have to think of two golf-club cartons, since two pieces of 300x1000m 80mm deep plus track won't leave much if any room for topography in a 230mm deep carton. I expet you'll ship any buildings and rolling stock etc separately in any case. I don't think you have to build the sections so that they make a box, since a layer or two of bubble wrap around them will be protect them very well.

Have fun!

Here in the states, extruded foam, used for insulation is quite popular. If available in the UK, it should solve your problems.

I can buy it in thicknesses from 1/2" to 2".

Wolf Kirchmeir wrote: [...]

OOPS, that should be 300 x 900mm. Darn keyboard... :-)

Thanks guys, I've got a good idea of how I can tackle this problem. To sum up..

Because of import regulations...

No wood will be used in the baseboard construction, I'll look at using a mixture of foamboard and expanded polystyrene. Another idea is to make a rigid sealed box from foamboard, and fill it with expanding foam. This should give a light and strong composite board. The only problem I can forsee is that if I ship it by air, the air pressure difference (75% of sea level or simulated 8000ft Alt) may lead to some temporary 'expansion' of the expanded foam. hmm..

No organic materials will be used for the scenery, so I guess an industrial theme would suit.

Because of high temperatures...

Frequent expansion breaks in the track, hopefully leaving enough gap to cope with a 50 degC temperature difference. Can you remember our own network (12":1ft) suffering last summmer? I'll have to do some digging around in physics book to get the appropriate tolerances.

Thanks again guys, I think I've got enough to start. Though I might try a cheap, small mock up of the above techniques and ship if out, just to see what state it arrives in, and also how strict customs will be. Incidentally, I'm waiting for a response from the Austrailian Customs to clarify the importing of plywood, which would be so much easier..

Cheers

Paul

Read this first:

MBQ

lol, I've used this stuff before (to exclude bats the the eaves of my house, but that's another story...) and it needs to be treated with respect and fear!

I was going to make two holes in the box, one to fill and one for the overflow, plus heaps of plastic dust sheets!

Nice one

Paul

I believe that's illegal if the bats were there to start with.

MBQ

Tell me about it, we had to live with the buggers for 4 months until they'd left, a nursery roost of 200-300! Once we had left an open window and had 3 flying around the light in the bedroom! Fascinating creatures though, we re-hydrated one with a broken wing until our local batman took over it's care. Like I said, that's another story ;)

Cheers

Paul