Fitting it all in the car

 At the outset the main concern of mine was fitting Rospeath Lane v.2 in my car. Rule 1d of the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge stipulates "The layout has to be portable and capable of being transported by a single car or similar size vehicle and exhibited by two people". I'm surprised it doen't state that both operators have to be transported in the same car as the layout. As a cost saving exercise for exhibition managers I feel it would be prudent for both operators to travel with the layout.

The problem I face is Tredethy Wharf fills my car including the passenger seat. I've been relying on help at exhibitions from friends having their own transport. Also Rospeath Lane's footprint is larger than Tredethy Wharf which means there is more to fit in the car. This is why I've been worried about how I might achieve my objectives.

Since committing to the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge I've almost exhausted the grey cells in working out how to fit Rospeath Lane into the car. I have taken many measurements of the boot space along with all other nooks and crannies that could be used in the car. Much thought was then given to how to reduce the important clutter around the scenic section of the layout. In this I mean the support structure, lighting frame, control panel, cassette boards with blanking/information panels and tool box along with the all important operators stool for thous quiet moments.

The diagrams below hope to show how I visualise it all fitting in the car including a couple of small overnight bags for multiple day shows. Hope you can make sense of the drawings...

One way I'll be saving space is to use the storage box tops for the lighting frame. This, along with the back screen, will help to create an enclosed space to minimise external light flooding the layout. I'm also planning to include the control panel within Baseboard 2.  The current support structure for Tredethy Wharf has improved the stability at the expense of taking up more spave in the car. My concern has been how to create a rigid support structure while reducing it's mass. I may have a solution in two trestles supporting and U girders, the proof being when its constructed.

To keep costs down I'll taking a leap of faith by adapting Tredethy Wharfs current legs for the trestles. So the hope is they will be a simplier solution for supporting Tredethy Wharf.