1. The Story behind Great Lakes & Allegheny Railroad
2. Requirements for membership
3. Downloading engines, rolling stock and activities
4. Regulations on driving trains in activities
5. Code sharing with other VR's
6. Reporting system
7. Engineer's ranks & salary
8. Contacting Headquarters
1. The story behind Great Lakes & Allegheny Railroad
In 2002, Jim Vaughan met, via the internet, a very interesting and knowledgeable individual named Bob Artim. Bob invited Jim to help him get North Eastern Railroad off the ground. Bob is the founder & Operations Director of NERR and is also the 1st Honorary Lifetime Member and former Human Resources Director of Atlantic Coastal Railway.
Jim obtained Microsoft Train Simulator shortly after it was released and short of playing around with it for my own amusement, Jim was getting the enjoyment that he had expected as a replacement for his Model Railroading interests. In an attempt to increase enjoyment and understanding of MSTS, Jim started surfing the net and checking out various train-sim sites. In the process Jim came across Bob's VR site and well the rest is history.
With NERR approaching its 2nd Anniversary, one of the ideas that we had thrown around early on was the concept of an ExtraBoard. This ExtraBoard would be made up of payware routes using prototype equipment, nothing fictional. Due to the size of the NERR project, the ExtraBoard project was placed on a back-burner. With the anniversary just around the corner, and NERR's inventory containing over 20 routes, 600+ activities, and over 200 pieces of equipment, Jim decided he'd like to try out the ExtraBoard concept but with a different approach, a separate VR. After explaining what he wanted to do, Bob decided he would like to do the same thing. As a result, GL&A as well as P&A (Pacific & American) were born.
GL&A started major operations on 1 August 2004. Headquarters was based in Gahanna, OH.
In 2005, Jim encountered an issue where real life was demanding more time than was needed to successfully run and grow GL&A. Jim decided to fold the operation at that point, to the dissapointment of his small but hard core group of engineers. The Management Team of Bison Rail System (BRS), itself grown out of NERR, but with a focus on freeware routes, contacted Jim and after some conversations, BRS successfully negotiated the rights to operate GL&A with a couple of the senior guys from GL&A working with the BRS team. While Jim has retired from the world of VR's, he still drops by from time to time to see what we are up to. The background of GL&A is a strong one and the BRS Management team are keen to see that concept grow and flourish.
2. Requirements for membership
Anyone can become a member of GL&A and it's free, well to an extent. You'll need to own a copy of MSTS, and any of the payware routes we use. As we grow you may need to pick up some of the add-ons for a route to enjoy some of the activities. To join GL&A, complete the application and one of our staff will contact you as soon as possible. When you get done reading the Operations Manual you should also read the Staff Guidelines.
3. Downloading engines, rolling stock and activities
GL&A will utilize a variety of equipment to include motive power, rolling stock and miscellaneous other pieces of equipment. While the primary equipment used will be the equipment that comes with each route, additional equipment from the freeware side of the community will be incorporated. This will be what we judge to be the top of the freeware community. All equipment that is not included with routes will either be available for download at GL&A or from the file library at train-sim.com. It may be necessary to install an upgrade that is downloaded from GL&A for equipment that is downloaded from the file library at train-sim.com. This is in order to insure the physics of all of the equipment is compatible.
As a point of reference, if a file that is downloaded from the file library at train-sim.com does not have the files for that piece of equipment in a folder then you should use the filename (minus the file type extension) as the folder name for that piece of equipment. If not, you will probably experience problems with some of the activities.
In order to facilitate GL&A operations, we will be utilizing some (not all) of the default activities that come with each route. Activities will be chosen based on the quality of the activity and how well it runs.
4. Regulations on driving trains in activities
Engineers are required to run 2 activities a month. You can download any activity that is available to you from our library and run it. All though we prefer that you downloaded GL&A's activities you can download them from any location on the internet or you can run the canned activities that come with each route. You can make your own activities and run them. GL&A's policy is very flexible.
If you are an active Engineer with Bison Rail System, you can spread your commitment across both VR's - but you will need to run 3 activities per month. You may run 1 GL&A activity and 2 BRS activies or 2 GL&A activities and 1 BRS Activity. This allows for some flexibility given we have the same parent company.
Activities made for use with GL&A have varying degrees of difficulty. These activities will be designed based on the varying abilities of those designing the activity. NOTE: Harder activities/work orders will incorporate such things as the NORAC Operating Rules. Activities of this level will end immediately when an operating rule is broken or an engineer commits a hazardous act, i.e. speeding.
5. Code sharing with other VR's
Code sharing at GL&A is limited to one other VR: P&A Railroad. Code sharing is where you can run activities from another VR and they of course would run ours, to get hour credits. Activities for non-payware routes will not be accepted. While these outside activities will still be counted for your service at GL&A, you pay will not be calculated based on those outside activities.
6. Reporting system
GL&A requires all engineers to file a trip report after running an activity by filling out the trip report form online in the TSS system. The trip report forms are automated and require you to input your ID#, the activity you ran, a start & finish time, total time, route and engine. To get your hours posted on the Engineer's Roster, to advance in rank and to get paid, you must file your trip reports.
7. Engineer's ranks & salary
There are only two ranks at GL&A: Trainee and Engineer. As a new member with GL&A, you will start as a Trainee. The ranking is based on hours driven , in other words, experience. Until you reach Engineer status, you are considered a probationary member. During your probationary period, the GL&A staff can revoke your membership for cause.
Salary terms are still be worked out and will be posted once they are available.
8. Contacting Headquarters
All GL&A staff can be contacted via the email addresses listed below:
info@glarr.com - GL&A Management Team
hrd@ glarr.com - GL&A RR Human Resources Department
wcn@glarr.com - GL&A RR Trainee Welcoming Committee
come join us at Great Lakes & Allegheny Railroad
any comments and/or ideas - email us
This is a Virtual Railroad. It's not real.
It's just for fun.
Only fun.
Let's have fun.
