Well, if you want advice from guys who move their layouts often then ask the ntrak guys. They're never in the same place twice in the same week! But seriously, I never had to deal with moving stuff while in the military. All my stuff fit into a duffle bag. There may be some restrictions on size and weight that you have to follow. But this is the advice I give to anyone, even those who are building a "permanent layout". That is an oxymoron as no layout is truly permanent. So here goes. First, build it modular. 2' x 4' is agood size but certainly nothing larger than 2' X 6'. Forget the 4' x 8' or the 2' x 8'. A m,ax width of 2' and a max length of 6' is a lot easier to pack, carry and maneuver through doors, around corners and /or up/down stairs. Second, build it like you would an airplane not a battleship. Strong but light are your key words. Hollow core doors are not the way to go. Hard to carry let alone maneuver around corners etc. They are also not very light. Go with an open grid framework with 1"x 3" or 1"x 4" for perimeter framing and 1" x 2" for cross framing every 12 inches. Use corner gussets of 1/4" plywood to prevent racking. Use 1/4" for sub roadbed and use a 1' X 2" laid on edge on the crossmembers to elevate the subroadbed 2" above the grid. These 1" x 2" shoud not be as wide as the roadbed to allow for the masonite to follow. Then use 1" strips of 1/8" masonite or hardboard screwed to the sides of the 1 X 2's to support the subroadbed. Third, use no glue. Screws only so repairs, if needed, can be done easily. Land forms are made from the usual blue or pink styrofoam.
