Don't matter......or Does it ??

[Anonymous]

Running trains Clockwise, or Counter clockwise around the track.

People putting down new track often ask, " Any advice for a newby". Which most time has many answers, depending on what area they have, what type setup they want to do, what type trains, etc.

However, I saw one old post where it was asked, " What direction should I run my trains, CW or CCW. Most said, doesen't matter...your choice.
Which is mostly true, but .....

In the case of a Shay Engine, if you will view mostly from inside your layout, then CW would be best. If mostly viewing from outside your layout, then CCW would be best. ( To see all those gears turning....only on right side of engine.)

Still no problem, just turn engine around for best viewing. But, think about the track layout for spurs. I like to back my trains from the mainline onto spurs, therefore, its best to think about whether your going to run trains CW or CCW before you get the track all laid.

Guess I'm taking something simple, and making it complex.....Doesn't really matter....or does it ????

OkieRRr

[Capt Bob Johnson]

What about running in both directions to even the wear on the flanges and gearboxes??

If you think I'm keeping track of how much time I have run any given loco in any given direction you got another think coming! I'll run it til it dies then get a new one!

I submit you do have a valid point about the Shea, but what about the angle of view for those who live on the other side of the tracks?

It's your railroad, do that which pleases you! Don't it give you a feeling of power to have all that much say about how things are done???

[Anonymous]

Good point Capt. Bob, about flange wear. Another item most newby's (like me), don't think about, since they haven't run trains much yet. Maybe I should consider 'Y's for the spurs, instead of a fixed direction. (Throws spring plans in the trash, start over) <grin>.

OkieRRr

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Okie,
I wouldn't worry about it, those hunks of metal are harder than out heads, and we haven't worn them out yet!

In giving it some thought in forming this answer, I find i'm running about 2/3 of the time CCW. Why? 1. I just like the look of them going round the pond in that direction. 2. they don't seem to pick the points on 2 of the switches as much when going that way. 3. I just seem to get them on the track heading that way more than going CW!

Whichever way they go they wind up going the other way when I'm heading into a siding, so does it really matter? I don't think so!

[vsmith]

This is why I like Climax's over Shay's..look great in either direction.

[grandpopswalt]

Okie,

I don't know what you're planning for your layout (Point-to-point, loop-to-loop, or just plain loop) but no matter what, you'll probably have a couple of towns from which your trains will be starting. I'd plan my spurs such that a train coming from either direction will have an equal number of spurs to service that are in a trailing-point direction. This allows the train to back into the spur to do it's switching. A facing point spur usually needs a run-around track close by to easily switch the spur (unless you're O.K. with pushing the newly switched cars around instead of pulling them).

Walt

[gvdobler]

For 19 years I ran the Christmas LGB counter-clockwise around the tree, about 25 feet of track. This year I ran it clockwise and almost everyone that came over asked "why is it running backwards?"

[ttrigg]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Bob Johnson

Okie,
I wouldn't worry about it, those hunks of metal are harder than out heads, and we haven't worn them out yet!

In giving it some thought in forming this answer, I find i'm running about 2/3 of the time CCW. Why? 1. I just like the look of them going round the pond in that direction. 2. they don't seem to pick the points on 2 of the switches as much when going that way. 3. I just seem to get them on the track heading that way more than going CW!

Whichever way they go they wind up going the other way when I'm heading into a siding, so does it really matter? I don't think so!

Capt Bob;

I had not thought about it until reading your post. Seems as though I do more CCW than CW. My Yard (still under develpoment) enters in a CCW mannor, and the proposed extension out througgh the wifes rose bushes will be comming out of the falls in that direction as well. I guess I'm letting the pond control more of the GRR than I thought.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting thread! I hadnt really thought about it but my HO set (recently dismantled due to a 'child' moving back home) ran CCW and my outdoor line is CCW also. I wonder why that is? Seems a lot of people run their trains CCW...

[Anonymous]

I run my trains CCW because of some slopes on the layout so it does matter for me

[Bucksco]

Do things change below the equator?

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Jack, You're starting to sound like Torby![:o)]

[Tom The Brat]

Strange. I run mine cw both in the asylum and in the shop (no longer)

[Bucksco]

I'm in trouble I run them in opposite directions at the same time![;)]

[DannyS]

Jack, water may run down the sink in reverse in the southern hemisphere, but garden trains run in both directions, otherwise you do not need crossing loops to pass an oposing train, put the pick up freight in the loop and bring the fast passenger train thru.

[Tom The Brat]

Since a boy, I've always wanted to build a layout with 2 passing sidings and run 2 trains in opposite directions[;)] Just haven't done it since getting back into trains.

[piercedan]

I have 2 figure 8 loops, so I guess my answer is neither CW nor CCW.

However I do have the habit of always running the trains in the same direction on these tracks. [:)] [:)] [:)]

[Tom The Brat]

Seems to me each layout has its own natural direction. David suggested I turn the trains in the asylum around once. After a day or so, I put them back the "right" way. Last time I was on the Gateway club's modular layout, they were running the wrong way. Don't know why, but it just wasn't right.

[Anonymous]

Is it time for a Poll? I run mine CW

John

[Puckdropper]

My partially finished HO layout doesn't have CW or CCW. It's a straight line. My G scale track doesn't have a direction defined yet.

[tmcc man]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

This is why I like Climax's over Shay's..look great in either direction.

That is exactly what I was thinking.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Bob Johnson

What about running in both directions to even the wear on the flanges and gearboxes??

If you think I'm keeping track of how much time I have run any given loco in any given direction you got another think coming! I'll run it til it dies then get a new one!

I submit you do have a valid point about the Shea, but what about the angle of view for those who live on the other side of the tracks?

It's your railroad, do that which pleases you! Don't it give you a feeling of power to have all that much say about how things are done???

I have never thought of that. I will have to start following suit for even wear.

[Anonymous]

I use a simple relay system so trains run in alternate directions. I like the more natural look of that. When one train enters the station, it flips a relay, the current to the rails switches, and a waiting train leaves in the opposite direction.

Cost me a lot of figuring out - it´s not that difficult, I´m just not much of an electrical engineer - but now it works fine. It is expandible to more stops.

[BudSteinhoff]

Two mainlines, 1 CW, 1 CCW and always run the same way.
Bud[8D]

[John Busby]

Hi all
I see the responses refering to evening up wear.
has any one thought of the dont run it round in circles solution to this
a few well placed dreaded "S" bends will do the same thing.
my trains tend to spen more time running CW
regards John

[Anonymous]

Under the Christmas tree, CCW, just like the boys at NASCAR. [:D]

Actually, there's a good reason for it. The track is in a tight spot and the locomotive just brushes the curtains when it passes by. The right side of the curtains close over in front of the left side. If I run CW the locomotive hits the curtain just enough to open up a gap while running CCW keeps the curtains closed.

Bill

OT: This topic reminded me of an interview at one of the NASCAR races last season. The reporter asked a driver what he thought about when he was running around the track at 180 mph. The driver's answer was, "Left, left... straaaaaight... left, left... straaaaaight." [:o)]

[Capt Bob Johnson]

The driver's answer was, "Left, left... straaaaaight... left, left... straaaaaight." [:o)]

[tangerine-jack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by John Busby

Hi all
I see the responses refering to evening up wear.
has any one thought of the dont run it round in circles solution to this
a few well placed dreaded "S" bends will do the same thing.
my trains tend to spen more time running CW
regards John

That's my solution. It looks more natural to me to have non circular pattern track. That way I don't have to think about it, and it gives a changing view of the train as it runs. It's a little bit like why European road racing is way better than Nascar, it takes skill and daring to turn BOTH ways during a race![;)]

[FJ and G]

T-J,

It is very critical that you only operate your trains in a certain direction, based on which part of the hemisphere you live in.

To determine the direction for running, flush your toilet and make careful notations as to which way the water drains down, clockwise or counter. If hard to tell, place an object in the bowl as it is being flushed to see better which way.

The direction of the flush should be the direction for running your trains. There's a whole feng shui science to this, btw.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

T-J,

It is very critical that you only operate your trains in a certain direction, based on which part of the hemisphere you live in.

To determine the direction for running, flush your toilet and make careful notations as to which way the water drains down, clockwise or counter. If hard to tell, place an object in the bowl as it is being flushed to see better which way.

The direction of the flush should be the direction for running your trains. There's a whole feng shui science to this, btw.

Don't need to go to all that trouble; we already know that N of the equator it will be clockwise, and South of equator it will be counter clockwise. Only problem I can foresee here is what if your back yard is on the equator???

to throw a facetious comment into the subject, doe the rule hold true on a N of Equator built ship when it is visiting down under???