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Now I've had some time to rest and relax a while, I thought I'd post my thoughts on the TVNAM 2014 exhibition and how I felt Cane River performed.

The Exhibition

For a fan of US model railroads, this is THE event in the UK, with some truly fantastic exhibitors coming from all over the UK to show off their creations. The full list of layouts can be found on the TVNAM website - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tvnam.co.uk/layouts.htm">http://www.tvnam.co.uk/layouts.htm</a><!-- m -->

For the modeler after some new toys, N and HO scale modelers were VERY well catered for, though traders did seem lacking in O Scale products - something I am sure will be addressed for next years show.

I would have loved to have been a visitor to the event, as there were some spectacular layouts on show, which unfortunately I had little time to see as I was a one man crew for my own layout, so didn't have anyone to cover for me so I could have a look around - entirely my own fault, but I'll be sure to take this into consideration for next year - yes I will be back, so long as the organizers will have me!

On that note...

Cane River

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I was very pleased with the layout, especially considering I was still working on it at 2am the morning of the event! It was easy to set up, the lighting worked perfectly, after a good clean the night before, there was minimal stalling - mainly on the turnouts due to dirt building up over the course of the day. A quick scrub with a track cleaning rubber and everything was good as new!

Switching proved a challenge, and I was very surprised at quite how intense switching the layout would be - swapping cars out on the team track and scrap yard took all my attention, and the occasional shuttling of freight cars to the lumber yard and warehouse were a welcome break between switch jobs.

The Kato couplers I added onto my freight stock were both a help and a hindrance. That they were compatible with the Microtrains, McHenry and Accumate couplers on the rest of my stock was great, but they did prove a little problematic in getting Accumate and McHenry couplers to connect up when switching. I think I shall reserve them for when switching fixed rakes of cars like grain and cement hoppers in future.

Tanks cars proved the most challenging to switch as - whilst I only had 2 of them - ensuring there was a barrier car between them and the switching loco proved quite difficult due to the space restrictions in the spurs and the run around. I shall definitely be ensuring they make an appearance in each exhibition I attend in future. Smile

Motive power was provided for most of the day by my two latest acquisitions: an MKT U25B and a Southern Pacific GP40 - both Atlas locos and both came DCC fitted as standard. Both perform excellently, and I shall definitely be returning to the traders I got them from in future.

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All in all, a great day was had, both operating and exploring the exhibition, though a more even balance of both would have been preferable.

For those of you who are in the UK, mark the date for next year - you won't regret it!
So, with TVNAM over for this year, my attention can now turn toward extending the layout.

As it stands, this is likely going to be the first initial plan of how the layout will look, though I'll likely leave out the double slip at the mouth of the receiving sidings, and replace it with pointwork in such a way as to keep the switching lead from fouling the main.

Otherwise I think that this is quite adequate for representing a shortline railroad linking up with a interchange yard - in this case the Natchitoches and Cane River Railroad linking up with the fictional KCS interchange yard in Natchitoches. You may also notice the offshoot from the shortline which crosses the feed into the loco stabling area which ends at the end of the board, and the curved spur opposite alongside the rice silo - this is to allow for a lift out section to be placed here if required so I can sit back and run trains in a big circle, should the mood take me. Smile

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Glad the meet went well. I like the track plan.
CSX 5937 hauls container traffic past Cane River Lumber.
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Another shot I really like:
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Yeah, that last shot is a real winner.
I spent yesterday afternoon building a few kits from my bits box, and decided to give them a temporary home on Cane River so expanded the layout a little:

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I spent this morning switching the layout, which is proving as fun as ever. I am thinking of setting up some sort of waybill and car card system to make things more interesting.

Then this afternoon I spent a couple of hours railfanning, sitting on the hill beside the bayou and getting a few shots of passing trains. There appears to be something going on elsewhere in the area, as a lot of coal trains appear to have been diverted along the N&CRR trackage. Unsure why.

My first train encountered was a local freight heading toward the KCS interchange yard in Natchitoches behind leased power - ex-Burlington Northern SD9 #6206.
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Next up, some BNSF patch units - a pair of GP20's heading south with the first of many diverted coal trains. I had to climb a tree to get this shot!
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An hour or so late, a pair of CSX Dash 8-40B's thundered past with another coal train - these locos were certainly a long way from home!
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And finally, the best shot I got on the trip, a restored Northern 4-8-4 steam locomotive - charter power pulling the last coal train I saw that day. Talk about lucky!
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Tongue
Tyson Rayles Wrote:Glad the meet went well. I like the track plan.

Why didn't I come up with something like this..?? That's a great plan for switching..!!
A new photo and a couple of videos:

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Tonight was Epsee night on Cane River - I've just fitted a CN-GP into my Southern Pacific GP20 - a quick and painless process, if I'm honest. Smile

All locos and stock were either Espee or "private owner" - with the exception of the single Central of Georgia hopper. Love me some CoG. Smile

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Having just returned from Spain and having just been paid, I have ordered a few bits for the next phase of the layout.

A set of 5 reefers to serve the food processing plant on my planned extension, a DPM trackside transfer kit to go towards said plant, a 5 set of deluxe innovations gunderson well cars, and a decoder fitted Atlas B30-7 to add to my BNSF roster.

Construction begins on Friday! Smile
Quick video testing out the DI Well car set - due to their light weight they come with brass weights to allow them to adhere to the track, however these must be disguised inside a container, so the cars cannot be run empty. A shame but not a big deal, as they are simply beautiful models.

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I've been playing around in SCARM and photoshop, and have put together what is likely to be the final trackplan for the N&CRR, hopefully it makes some kind of sense!

[Image: NampCRR_zps534af8f0.png]
Looks very busy, maybe too busy? Are you sure you are leaving enough room to do justice to the scenery?
The plan is rather crude in this format Mike, but I have a vision in my head of what it will look like and I am confident that I can do it justice.

I said that construction of the extension would begin today and it has - though in a somewhat backwards manner.

The rice mill on the new board is a bastardised version of the Abbeville rice mill in southern Louisiana. It has some serious presence, and so some suitable model structure kits were needed to represent it.

So far this is my progress on a kitbash of a DPM trackside transfer and a Heljan washing plant. There will be two rice loaders over the car spots, the bulk of which is from the pipe gantry from the Walthers Superior Paper kit.

More to come as it progresses.
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