The Sierra Lines is an amalgamation of the Southern Pacific RR (SP), the Virginia & Truckee River RR (V&T), the Lodestone, Sierra, & Incline Village RR (LS&I), and the Western Pacific RR (WP).  The Sierra Lines is a true to life, prototypical representation of the way it would have been given a 9.0 Richter earthquake in the Sierra’s in 1948, resulting in the 2^nd 49er gold rush (100 years after the first), the establishment of Dr. Arthur Smith’s LS&I, and the resuscitation of the V&T, and given that there was a subsequent eruption of the Toiyabe volcano which buried Reno and wiped out the SP mainline from Truckee to Sparks (August, 1951 ) resulting in the need for the SP to run over the LS&I trackage from Truckee through Incline village to Carson City, and then on the V&T trackage to Sparks (as you may well remember), further resulting in much traffic being diverted to the WP, vaulting the WP to premier status in the region, and furthermore given that a second large eruption (January 1953) wiped out the Feather River route of the WP and the need for them to use LS&I, V&T, and SP trackage, leading eventually to the formation by Dr. Smith of the Sierra Lines, etc., etc.  (Note: for the history buff, the complete history is contained in a ten page pamphlet available upon request from art-sharon@cox.net ).  Some would say this layout is not prototypical, but free lanced, being uninformed about the true history of the region.

The modeled portion of the Sierra Lines includes the Sierra Mountains in California, from Sacramento through Auburn, Donner Summit, Truckee, Black Water Junction / Kirksville, and Incline Village (see the schematic).  Substantial switching is required to service the many industries in each town.  There are branch lines from Black Water Junction to Lodestone and from Sacramento to Marysville.  Additional substantial switching is required of locals at the Docks, the Industrial Park, Uptown Sacramento, and the DelMonte complex. 

Connections to the outside world (in hidden staging) on the west are through Antioch, Stockton, Oakland, and San Francisco, and on the east through Carson City, Sparks, and Virginia City. 

The main yard is at Old Town Sacramento, with smaller yards at Black Water Junction and Incline Village.  The Sierra Lines operate in two modes:

1.  Standard Mode - A typical session will have 9 operators (using Digitrax DCC wireless throttles), all of which are kept busy for 3+ hours, and will run up to 22 trains, most of which require lots of switching.  3 operators will be stationed full time at yards (Old Town, Black Water Junction, and Incline Village) and will switch the town associated with that yard.  The other operators will alternately run local out-and-back switching of 7 towns and also run through mixed freight trains (up to 3 each eastbound & westbound).  An ore train turn with 20 cars switches The Mother Lode and Grizzly Flats gold mines, and a Challenger heads a 42 car ore train returning empties from Antioch to Virginia City to the Comstock Lode silver mines.  Extras my be dispatched, as required, to keep all the customers happy.  

2.  Four Interchange Mode - Because we have had so much fun at Jim Senesee’s KCT, management of the Sierra Lines decreed a similar methodology - 8 operators are assigned in two man teams to operate 4 interchanges, with each team assuming the corporate culture of one of the 4 railroads represented.  A given team will run the layout to move their approximately 20 car train to their interchange track, then split up with each member switching his own town.  After completing all setouts and pulls, deliveries must be made to the other three interchange tracks.  A 9^th operator switches The Mother Lode and runs several through trains with some switching on a purposeful interference basis.

The Corporate Cultures are as follows:

Southern Pacific:   The SP employees are somewhat resentful that the SP’s continued existence as a class 1 railroad was dependant on the largess of Dr. Smith, and privately speak against him.  They can no longer think of themselves as the best (the LS&I is the best), and it rankles in their spirits, even though they do have higher status than the WP.  But when the LS&I is around, they keep their distaste within, and only reveal their true feelings to themselves and to the V&T.  If they can make extra work for the LS&I, or slow them down, they use the opportunity, provided they can make it look as if it was the WP’s fault or avoid blame some other way.

Lodestone, Sierra, and Incline:    The LS&I employees realize they work for the best, and actually are the best.  It’s hard for them to be humble.  Their high rates of pay result in top quality work and highest productivity.  They aren’t afraid to go the extra mile, but will not tolerate sloppy work by others, and won’t put up with tricks by the SP.  Most of the employees are personal friends of Dr. Smith, and would not want to disappoint him.

Virginia and Truckee:   The V&T employees are thankful to still be in business, realize that it is only so by the kindness of Dr. Smith, and are thus very humble.  Whenever they can, they are eager to help, especially the LS&I.  They realize that the Comstock Lode could play out again, and thus hope to get hired by the LS&I or even the SP before that happens.  They would rather be unemployed than work for the WP, however.  The V&T looks sharp, feels sharp, and is on the ball.

Western Pacific:   The WP employees struggle to maintain self-respect, and spend much of their free time updating their resumes.  Having temporarily risen to number one in the region, gloated exceedingly over the SP misfortunes (eruption of the Toiyabe volcano, wiping out Reno and the SP mainline), and then been brought low by misfortunes of their own (2^nd eruption of the Toiyabe volcano, wiping out The Feather River Route), has darkened their view of the world.  After being rescued from bankruptcy by Dr. Smith (he liked their color scheme), cooperation with the SP in Old Town is a rare thing, and caustic arguments are commonplace.  Dr. Smith is contemplating buying a controlling interest in the WP, merging it with the SP, then firing anyone who doesn’t fully cooperate.   

For the inaugural running of Hograils (2007), management has decreed use of the 4 interchange mode.