Bruce Chubb
Sunset Valley Oregon System (HO)
Sunset Valley Oregon System Tour for 2025 NMRA National Convention
The Sunset Valley Oregon System (SVOS) will be hosting an open house from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Those attending the 2025 NMRA Convention in Novi, and others too, are invited to attend and tour this world- renowned model railroad.
The SVOS features ten prototype railroads operating in the Pacific Northwest in 1955. Major focus is on the Southern Pacific from Portland, Oregon to Dunsmuir, California using the original SP Siskiyou line, and the SP Coos Bay Branch stretching out to the Pacific Ocean from Eugene, Oregon. Also included is Spokane Portland and Seattle (SP&S) trackage running somewhat parallel to the SP connecting Portland to Eugene. Independent railroad logging and mining operations are modeled along with the Great Northern (GN), Northern Pacific (NP), and Union Pacific (UP) operations into and within Portland.
Providing additional interest, the Crescent City Branch is modeled from near Oregon’s Grants Pass to California’s ocean port of Crescent City. This branch incorporates trackage originally built by the bankrupted California and Oregon Coast RR and subsequently purchased by the modeled Sunset Valley that completed the route to Crescent City.
Incorporating all the different railroads being modeled, there is 1,400 ft of route trackage (approaching the length of five football fields), consuming up to 4-decks ranging from knee-high to over your head, all in a 2,650 sq ft basement. This includes space under a 2.5 car garage, a 3-season porch and through the basement bathroom. There are six classification yards, two separate CTC dispatching panels and three Entrance-Exit (NX) Interlocking Plants. A combination of through freights, plus locals and turns, travel through 45 cities and towns serving more than 200 industries. Passenger trains, each closely based on its prototype, feature six different railroads.
Loop-end staging (34 tracks) provides continuous operation passing through midnight without even slowing down. Using a 2-to-1 fast-clock, a minimum of 10-road-crews handle 92 trains listed on the Call board daily, which take 12-hours real-time.
Scenery, set in 1955 all heavily prototypically based, captures abundant Pacific Northwest tall timber, extensive water, tall steel and wood trestles over canyons, rivers and creeks, sand dunes leading to the Pacific Ocean, big city and industrial buildings that dwarf the trains combined with breath-taking small towns and rural settings. Equally fascinating is watching long-trains struggle up the 3.6% grade crossing the Siskiyou Mountains separating Oregon from California. Everything is super-detailed, museum-quality including most buildings close to the fascia exhibiting extensive interior detail.
Using “Display Mode Operation” trains will be moving over the system, continuously, throughout the entire 7-hour Open House. Also, do not be surprised if a crew member invites you (which includes spouses and children too) to take a turn at the throttle running a train over the system.
Additional to the Open House, the SVOS will be hosting two pre-convention Operating Sessions on Friday and Saturday, July 11-12. Interested convention attendees are encouraged to participate. For details, including 42 representative photos of the SVOS, and for signing up to attend the operating sessions, consult www.operatingsessions.com.
DATE: Sunday, July 20th 2025
HOURS OPEN: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE:
PARKING:
ENTRY:
