Scott Buckley
Tehama Valley Railroad

The HO scale Tehama Valley Railroad (TVRR) is a freelanced Northern California shortline that runs through the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Foothills in the late 1940s. The TVRR isn't based on any particular prototype railroad, but it is inspired by several short lines and branchlines in the area. The TVRR resides in a purpose-built room, and features many scratchbuilt structures and rural scenery typical of the Sacramento Valley.

The TVRR interchanges with the Southern Pacific and the Northern California Traction Co. (NCT) in Hamilton City. The NCT is a fictional former interurban that is jointly controlled by the Santa Fe and the Western Pacific. The line then heads east to serve the farming communities of Colusa Jct., Walnut Grove, and Butte City. Points east are currently represented by staging. The line primarily serves the agricultural and lumber industries. Most inbound traffic consists of boxcars of feed, grain, and other farming supplies. Outbound traffic includes reefers of fresh produce and boxcars of finished lumber from a large lumber finishing mill in Oakville (currently represented by staging). Cement is also shipped from a cement plant east of Oakville.

All trains are local turns and originate and terminate in Hamilton City. Each crew is responsible for building their train from the interchange yards, delivering and picking up cars from the modeled towns (or staging), and delivering their cars to the appropriate interchange yard upon return to Hamilton City. Although the TVRR operated in the era of TT&TO, all trains are run in a sequential order as scheduled extras under verbal orders from the trainmaster/dispatcher. The locomotive roster is 100% steam.

Basic information:
A. Scale: HO
B. DC or DCC: MRC DCC
C. Dispatching/control method: Sequential/Verbal
D. Car control: Switchlist
E. Mainline: 106' with 7 sidings
F. Room size: 25' x 40'
G. Percent sceniced: 65%
H. Handicap accessibility: two steps
I. Maximum number of guest operators: 6

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