Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Okay, I think I have the flow down Bill. Fire it up.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Had a birthday party for our grandson to attend today, but this morning I got all the tools moved back into the shop. It's a little bit tight on space right now but, my plan is to raise the track up about 5 inches from where it currently sits. That extra few inches will give me a lot of valuable storage space underneath!
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Amy took some great photos during the move. Thought I'd share some of them here.
Thank you Amy!
The first thing we did was cover both track pieces. I did not want to take any chance of water damage if it started raining. Of course it never did start raining but, if we would not have covered the track it surely would have!
We moved the section of track that was located closest to the overhead door down the driveway and under the carport. This gave us enough room to get the larger piece loaded onto Howie's car trailer first. The plan was if it did not fit into Howie's trailer we would try to fit it into the U-Haul. I knew the smaller section would fit into the trailer or the U-Haul easily. The larder section was the wild card!
I had hoped for at least 12 people for the move. Thanks to AWESOME friends we exceeded that number!
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
We tipped the large section up and placed the bottom end on two furniture dollies to make it easier to get the section down to the trailer.
Going down the hill with this huge piece was a little tricky.
Getting it onto the ramp leading into the trailer was another trick.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
A lot of grunting, huffing, and puffing, got this section onto the trailer ramp.
The moment of truth. Push and hope!
It was really close. The track was 7 foot 9 inches wide. The door opening on Howie's trailer was 7 foot 5 inches. I had figured out on graph paper that if we took the legs off this section we would be able to tip it up and just get it through the door opening. What I didn't account for were the inner fenderwells inside the trailer. 
The section slid right in. It wasn't even as close as I had feared.
The inside width of Howie's trailer was 8 feet even so I knew if we could get it in it would lay down flat in the trailer. And it did, we sat it down flat right on top of the inner fenderwells. One large tie down strap over the top to keep it from shifting forward or backward and it was ready for the ride to Vancouver.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Next we loaded the smaller section into the U-Haul.
Compared to loading the larger section into the trailer, this was a piece of cake.
Once the trip to my place in Vancouver was completed it was time for the next obstacle, backing up to to the shop. The side fence gate is only 9 feet wide, and the driveway approach is not level. It was a little bit tricky but, with spotters I got the U-Haul in.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Ready to unload the U-Haul.
The height of the U-Haul's deck made it a chore to get the section unloaded. But thankfully we had plenty of people to handle the weight.
Once it was off the truck we walked it into the shop.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
The first section was set into place in the shop. I had measured and marked out the track's planned position on the floor with duct tape.
Time to uncover the first section. Still no rain....but better safe than sorry!
Then it was Howie's turn to back his car trailer in. This feat was even more difficult in part due to the fact Howie's trailer was even wider than the U-Haul! Luckily my neighbor is an awesome guy and let us use his driveway for a straighter approach to my driveway.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Howie did an outstanding job of backing that trailer up the driveway. He had less than 3 inches clearance on each side, and overhead to get under that TV satellite dish!
Once we got the large section out of the trailer we rolled it into the shop.
Once we had close to where it would be set up, we used clamps to secure some of the legs back in position.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
After legs were attached to one side we raised the opposite side and attached a few more legs so we could move the section into place.
Lastly we reunited the two sections!
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
This project could never have been completed without all the help from my friends in the slot car community!
Thanks to Bob McFarland for allowing me to be the next guardian of Checkered Flag Raceway.
Thanks to gary "Howie" Howard for his help, bringing his trailer to the party, and his support throughout this endeavor and in my slot car interests in general.
And a big thank you to everyone that cam out to help, Mitch Brooks, Chris Kouba, Jeff Fields, Amy Fields, Rico Locati, Tracy Flood, Bob Nakamura, Dennis Hart, Jeff Burns, Beau Frazier, Al Christensen, Marty Barney, and Ted (sorry Ted, I still don't know your last name). You are all AWESOME and valued friends!
62 January 21, 2019 11:55 am (edited by howie January 21, 2019 12:00 pm)
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
To me this was a fun day over all. Yes there might have been a grunt or two, and maybe a little cussing ( I may have cussed a little when we let the track down at Bill's place and a track leg sat down on my foot! no damage! ) but I enjoyed the day. I would have wore myself out getting in and out of the truck at Bill's to see where I was at if it were not for the spotters!
You planned the move to perfection Bill. I don't think it could have gone any better.
Thanks for the Pizza Bill, it was great!
Great pictures!
Really looking forward to racing on InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway!
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Bill, I want to thank you for giving Checkered Flag a new home. In my fairly short slot racing career, I have focused on OSCAR 1/24 hardbodies, and have enjoyed all the races and all the participants. I truly wish you great pleasure in hosting races on your new track, and it would be a great privilege to race on it again. Stuart
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: Checkered Flag Raceway to Move to Vancouver
Thanks Stuart!
My plan is to host racers for the OSCAR series as well as the local PASER racers. In addition I will host races for the Rapid Raceway guys and NASTE. I plan to keep the track busy!