shipping engines

[Fred_V]

What have you guys done about shipping engines? I've gotten quotes that are all over the place from 300 to 1400 bucks. Also what about insurance?

[jscarmozza]

Fred, I purchased and had two 1" scale engines and tenders shipped within the last three years, one from FL and the other from NV. I used Freightquote.com and was satisfied with the service and price, they were both shipped uninsured (that was my choice). What is absolutely essential is to crate properly. Mount the crate on a pallet and keep the crate square and make it strong, if you don't mount it on a pallet someone may run a forklift fork through it while trying to lift it, if the crate is long and thin (not square) it will get log rolled with disasterist results to the contents. Secure the engine in the crate but cushion it and fill any voids with packing peanuts, old newspapers or the like, canned foam is good for spot bracing. Good luck.
John

[Tim B Guenther]

When Marty Knox shipped a boiler to me earlier this year, I also used Freightquote.com. The price and service were excellent, but the crate was not on a skid. Sure enough someone punched a hole through the crate with a fork. Fortunately, it missed hitting the boiler by an inch or so. Mounting a crate on a skid is a really good idea!

[gwrdriver]

Hi Fred,
Good advice above. Free wood pallets are everywhere. I've shipped a number of specialized items and I started with a heavy oak pallet and built the crate on top of that. There are are also light "white wood" pallets but I steer clear of those.

[RONALD]

Here is an example of how not to ship.

This came from Steam Age USA.

Luckily, it was all heavy steel and there was no damage, but it came within inches off falling off its skid.

That is the way I picked it up, it was insured, but I do not believe there was any information pasted on that boiler.

[SteveR]

I moved a 1" LE 040 from Milwaukee to LA using Craters and Freighters. I prearranged dropping it off and they build a crate with a floating/sprung base on a custom pallet as I instructed. Specified that the straps go through the frame and not over the top of the boiler. It showed up a week later on a lift gate truck and the driver used a pallet jack to put it right in my garage. ~$800 - no muss, no fuss. I'm planning on using them again in the spring to move a boiler and a tender. I had considered using Fedex Freight.
SteveR

[Fred_V]

Thanks, I had looked at Freight Quote.

[Bill C]

Fred, when I got my boiler from Marty Knox he sent it via Old Dominion Freight Line and it came in at their terminal on Olive Road just east of Old Palafox. The terminal manager was extremely helpful , giving me a time to come in afternoon , when the commercial shipments were done. He picked up the boiler crate with a forklift and placed it in the back of my Yukon.

The place was clean and the service was excellent. Boiler crate was not damaged in any way. Don’t know how current costs compare to others but I would recommend them.

Bill

[Fred_V]

Bill, I went to Old Dominion and they quoted me 1400 bucks to ship the engine. Everyone else is in the 400 to 800 bracket.

[jcbrock]

I think John Scarmozza has it right, focus on the crate and it doesn't matter who ships it. I recently received a loco and the crate had been destroyed with corresponding damage to the loco. I agree with previous comments about palletizing. I would reinforce the crate with 2x4 in the corners. I would take any decorative steam dome cover off and build a yoke around the dome and screwed to the sides of the crate. I would screw the entire crate together and not use nails. Nails will pull out. I would wedge pink foam sheet where I could to constrain rocking, and use it to block between handrails and carbody or boiler.

[Fred_V]

Right, I've done all that in the past with success except the foam. I may add that this time. I just screw 2x4s to the crate bottom so the forks can lift the crate.

[rrnut-2]

"I recently received a loco and the crate had been destroyed with corresponding damage to the loco."

It is for this reason that Mike at RRSC will deliver a locomotive, no shipping with anybody. He just doesn't trust them and for good reason.

I just received a hot air furnace for my son's house. When the trucker delivered it, there was a small tear in the outer cardboard. We checked it and underneath looked fine. So a month later we get it to my son's house, into the basement and uncrated it. It had been dropped from a height of at least 4 feet. Rather than fight with the trucking company and seller, I am now doing body work on a furnace, yuck.

Jim B