Page 5 - March April 2000

SACRAMENTO RAILFAIR #2 Vin Callcut
However, for the expert modeller keen on operation or exhibitions, the challenge of realistic operation is significant. Movements on and off the site should be made to allow visits to fuelling and watering facilities for the major locos outwith the site, to release them to head the riverside shuttle train for visitors, go completely off site for excursions, or to pose them to suit the timetable of the displays and demonstrations. At no time is walking pace exceeded so electrical pickup and mechanism reliability needs to be the best. The number of isolating electrical sections used will be critical, especially since the length of locomotive models will vary from the largest down to small 0-4-0s. Fitting the larger locos with solid- state engineers may be an answer but the wee ones will be hard put to it to hide the motor, let alone large slices of semiconductors.
As usually arranged, the large locomotives tend to operate on the tracks nearest to the riverside. This will give instantly recognisable eye-appeal from a distance. As guests get nearer, they will see that there will be a wealth of small stock behind that is well worth examining in detail. There is regular movement on and off the turntable so that visitors can get a good look and photos. Locomotives are generally moved off on to other roads to enable others to parade in their turn. On a short spur beside the roundhouse is an occasional demonstration of locomotive lifting by a ‘Big Hook’. A live steam miniature railway also operates, this being sited by the edge of the site furthest from the river.
Operation of the sound stages needs careful arrangement and adjustment of sound levels to keep the area of interest local. From the types of entertainment mentioned, tapes needed can be to choice from such as ‘Railroad Folk’, ‘Country and Western Railroad’, ‘Railroad Rock’, ‘Railroad Blues’, ‘Barbershop with Railroads’ and ‘Irish Railroad Folk’. The railroad construction songs of the Chinese workers do not seem to be generally available. Rather than running all at once, they can be programmed to operate in sequence together with useful associated highlights from the illuminations.
Conclusion
The layout suggested can be used to form an eye-catching attraction however designed. It is basically intended to give an idea to those wanting to pack an available small space with a wealth of detail. However, it can possibly expanded to the limits of imagination and capability.
RRM website, railroad magazine reports and the photos taken by the various UK visitors.
Sierra Railroad #28 is dwarfed by UP Challenger #3985 at the Sacremento Railfair in 1999
wander round during the night and there is the oc- casional night photoshoot. Loco preparation and steam raising starts early. The ticket booths, guides and display stands are all well manned before the first rush of visitors. Perhaps 09.45 is the best time to depict, with staff and crews just becoming outnumbered by visitors and some queues forming for cabbing the locos and other attractions. To be re- alistic later on in the day you would need thou- sands of people thronging all the displays, exhibition
booths, refreshment facilities and enter- tainments. By then, your visitors will be draping themselves over the photogenic exhibits while members of their family take a record of the happy day. At this time of year, most of them are in lightweight clothes such as T-shirts and shorts. For ultimate realism later in the day, the layout lighting would have to be so strong that the room temperature would be on or just over 100°F!
For realism, the site should include a number of entertainment centres quite unlike an open day at a British Preservation Society. Top class acts are harmonised with the day’s programme to give a very wide variety of pleasures for rail and less-rail enthusiasts. These should include a unique multi-whistle steam Calliope played from a keyboard, an excellent barber shop quartet, folk singers specialising in rail-related songs, music hall and operatic entertainment, not forgetting groups representing the contributions of those of Irish parentage and from the deep South to the spread of rails through the West. Commemorating the efforts of the Chinese might be quite a challenge but historically well worth while.
In Old Sacramento there can be a celebration of the ‘49ers in the form of a visiting wagon train complete with prairie schooners, supply wagons and stage coach. Besides plenty of horses, this includes many folk in period costume.
Operation
The range of possibilities can be suited to your inclinations. After spending a long time building the layout, you might be tempted to go for the minimum and sit there relaxing and there looking at a grand collection of immaculate but static locos. For minimum movement, you could pose a glamourous three- truck Shay slowly rotating on the turntable under the admiring gaze of a circle of visitors. You can then perhaps keep company with Sven Up, Jim Beam, Bud Weiser or other friendly tipple while listening to favourite CDs of railroad songs!
problem - they carry a stock of very realistic 12” scale polystyrene rocks to cause minimum damage when rolled down on to trains.
For scenic grandeur in comparison with flat Sacramento, the old SP Feather River Canyon route could be added as a demonstration of the modellers art with rock moulds. This includes the magnificent wye up at Keddie where two of the sides of the triangle are on trestles and the third tunnelled through the canyon rock. Preiser would be hard put to produce the hundreds of enthusiastic photographers needed to cover the operation of your specials but you could have fun under the baseboard activating them to jump up and down with rage as your armour yellow special UP stock excursion comes through two hours late and headed only by diesels instead of the failed Challenger!
Scenery
The historic buildings of Sacramento Old Town form the major item to be included. Fair representations of many of these can be made from existing kits or kitbashed from Design Preservation parts. With the Sacramento River in the foreground, one or more of the tourist sternwheelers would help to set the scene well.
The trade, society and refreshment tents would add a colourful extra density to the scene. While some of the entertainment is inside the music hall, most is outside and includes larger awnings to cover stage and seating. Events using the locomotives as props are now staged on the entrance track between open grandstands. For extra interest there can be a group building a wooden freight car with original tools. Other displays include traction engines and country crafts such as the blacksmith, wheelwright and basketmakers .
Populating the layout is essential, and here the layout becomes a Preiser benefit since the railfair is busy from well before the 09.30 opening until nearly dusk. No doubt security personnel and others
APRIL 2000 5
John Bloom