We are a unique 5" scale 17" gauge railroad on the property of Stuart Shurtleff and Lynn Shurtleff in the mountains of northeastern Tennessee. Our 1875ish narrow gauge wood burning outline engine, Gertrude, is powered by a 36 volt golf cart motor coupled to a golf cart differential. On the differential's cut down axles are sprockets that link with #40 chain to larger sprockets on the four drivers. The differential has a ratio of 12:1 and the chain system has an additional 4.8:1 ratio. Consequently the small motor delivers much torque to the drivers. The drivers are ski lift sheaves that consist of an aluminum disk with spokes and an aluminum ring about 16" in diameter. The disk and ring bolt together sandwiching a thick hard rubber tire with a concave outer surface. All wheels are double-flanged, as a number of old logging operations were, and our track is EMT conduit. This system allows us to climb up to a 27% grade with the locomotive, engineer, and small load in a utility car. Once the loop through the woods is completed the steepest grade we'll encounter on the main line will be a "mild" 15%.

If you'd like to learn more about the TVRR continue browsing our website. Also see if you can score a copy of "Grand Scales Quarterly" issue 25. A link to GSQ can be found on our "Links" page. The article is over two years old but you'll learn much of what we went through to build a cogless and cableless railroad that could climb such a steep grade.