John BusbyWell I use the English system odd numbers for points even numbers for signals
Confusing, really. The GRS machines put the signals on the ends of the row, and the switches in the middle. Trains moving left to right have their all of signals on the left side of the machine, trains moving right to left have all of their signals on the right end of the machine.
This makes for easier construction of the underlying interlocking bed, which of course you are not modeling. You assume that all of the levers are in the normal position, you start with where the train is, and alighn the levers until you align the plant to where the train wants to go, and then you can clear the signals.
Anyway, LION loves his GRS machine, and even you you do not follow the GRS protocols, and even if you do not use levers for the signals, knowing how the plant works helps you to understand how work your railroad.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I use a system that is peculiar to my interpretation of Ed Ravenscroft's MZL control system:
All powered switch machines have a C connection. Twin coils have separate N and R (coil) connections. Stall machines have polarized (through LEDs) direction connections to a single machine connection. If there are no N, R and C for a given turnout, point power is supplied manually.
The advantage, from my point of view? Each zone has a track schematic, with each set of points clearly identified thereon. Wiring schematics and lists use the numbers I've indicated from panel switch to switch machine, and identify all terminal strips/blocks encountered enroute.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi
Well I use the English system odd numbers for points even numbers for signals
These also corelate with the signal box (switch tower) levers and numbers may or may not also relate to the mileage eg signal U 648 which is at the 648 mile peg on the up track
Numbers are also given to terminal and station tracks but this has more to do with passangers finding their train.
Names are related usualy to the places the train passes through.
Some times there seems to be no rhyme or reason for it untill you look at an old railroad map and find out the depot and or town that used to be there is totaly gone.
But the main line still passes through and the location name remains.
regards John
Naming and or numbering tracks is one thing. Numbering the switches and signals is another.
In a station tracks might be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (As at my Coney Island Station.) But the switches are numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 after the levers that control those switches. Levers 1 and 2 control north bound signals. Levers 10 to 18 control southbound signals.
For a south bound movement out of track 3:
1) Lever 10 must be moved to the normal position to display a red signal to the number 2 track.
2) Lever 6 must be reversed to switch the lead track to track 3
3) Lever 5 must be reversed to align the lead to the southbound main track
4) Lever 11 must be reversed to display a green signal to the train on track 3.
The SIGNALS are numbered for the lever that controls the signal. If the Train on track 3 calls for signal 11 to be cleared, then the operator must do the steps outlined above before lever number 11 can be reversed.
The switches are numbered for the lever that controls them, and that number is painted directly on the switch machine. On real railroads the switch machines *are* above ground.
The new switch that they are putting in here in Richardton, even as we speak, will undoubtedly be numberd after a mile post, as will the signal. But that is because there are no interlocking machines out here, the operator will be in the master control room in Ft. Worth TX (Could be Bangalore, India for all that it matters.) but the operator will be working this entire line from (say) Billings to St. Paul. but will know when called by train 3528 at MP 504 what switch he is talking about, what with the dispatcher knowing where his trains are and what they are supposed to be doing.
Now on that new Richardton switch... it will serve the new Haliburton sand depot, and will be receiving 100 car unit trains directly from the mane lion. But once past that main line switch, all other switches are thrown from the ground and the plant crew, knowing that a train will be arriving will have set the switches to accomodate the new arrival.
If you are naming/numbering your tracks and switches to replicate the prototype, each road has its specific system but generally follow a similar pattern. The numbering system is usually contained in booklets of track diagrams provided for crews engaged in switching industries. These booklets are called differently according to railroad. For instance, on the Southern Pacific, they were SPINS, (Southern Pacific Industrial Numbering System), and Santa Fe called theirs CLIC, (Car Locater and Inventory Control) books. They idenified each track at a given station by a number and if a track had designated or multiple car spots, these too were identified by their own numbers on these diagrams. Also each station had its own number, instead of writing out an unwieldy name again and again. To illustrate the above, suppose you have a single track line with a double ended track as a run-around, and two stub ended industrial tracks diverging from the run-around. On most railroads the mainline is numbered 101 from terminal to terminal. If there are multiple main tracks, a centerline is estblished and all west or southbound tracks are numbered 101, 103, 105 from center and east or north bound tracks will be numbered 102, 104, 106 etc from center. For simplicity lets stick to our example. With the main track as 101, our run-around will be track 201 indicating it is not a main track, but nor is it an industrial track. One of our spurs is used as a team track but, at one time, served a freght house. The other track serves a feed mill complex that also sells fertilizer. The team track would be 301, and the feed mill would be 302 indicating industrial tracks. Track 301 is for "open" spotting, meaning simply dropping a car anywhere on that track. On a switchlist, this is normally indicated by a "99" in the spot column. The feed track is a little more involved because there are two warehouse doors for packaged products, an under-track hopper for incoming grain and three hook-ups for fertilizer tank cars. The warehouse doors would be spots 302-01 and 302-02, the hopper is 302-03. Tank car spots become 302-04, 05, and 06. The target of the switches leading to these industries MIGHT have the numbers of the tracks they lead TO painted on them. Because they are not industry tracks, the main track switches leading to the run-around are not numbered because their normal position is for the main. Using a SPINS, or CLIC book, a car to be spotted at the middle hook-up on the feed mill track would have the following code: station number (unique to the track complex, town, or large industry. Next is track number followed by spotting code, or 5555-302-06, instead of , Podunkville, Daisy Mae Feed Mill, fertilizer, middle spot. The answer to the second of part of your question is a lot simpler to answer and it is a combination of history and practical observation. It is not uncommon to find track known as a "house" or "roundhouse" track that hasn't seen a freighthouse or roundhouse in over 70 years. Railroaders are practical folks who relate things to what they see (or saw) and once something gets a name, it sticks. A "mill" track serves..... Jones track serves??? if the mill burns down or Jones becomes Smith, to the old heads, those tracks will always be known by their original names thus, the track numbering systems.
I was actually preparing a post on this sort of thing and my solutions when I came across yours. It's finally up here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/250382.aspx
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Silly me, on my railroad, the switches are numbered by the order in which they were installed. Sole purpose for that foolishness was to match the numbers that I hung on the wires beneath the layout with the remotely controlled push buttons on the control panel. Layouts vastly larger than the 32 square feet that I operate would be easier to manage by named and numbered locations.
Recommendation: pick a system, try it and if you dont like it, create one that you do enjoy.
Don H.
dehusmanDepends on the purpose. Switches are numbered and named differently depending on which department or which use.
Yes, Yes, Yes... Tracks on the IRT (looking north) are called 1-2-3-4 by the operations department, but are numbered 4-2-1-3 by the signal department.
The builders of the railroad numbered the switches one way, and the people who installed the interlocking plant numbered them differently. The people who maintain the signals have a bar code marked on the signal head itself (like a library book) so that it must be scanned in when it is inspected, to prove that the inspectors were actually in the field and actually touched the signal head.
Depends on the purpose. Switches are numbered and named differently depending on which department or which use.
In CTC the CTC machine will have one numbering of the switches in a CP. In a single track CP the switches will be numbered with single digit number. In multiple track areas the switches will be numbered with a two digit number, the first digit being the main. Switch 13 is in main 1 and switch 24 is in main 2. Where there is a crossover the dispatcher sees "one" device, a crossover, while the train crews see two switches so its always important to understand exactly which switch is being discussed.
The engineering department numbers things generally be milepost location.
The operating department usually names things. Typically a switch is named for the track that diverges from it. Where there may be multiple switches, there ae often directions added, susch as the west siding switch at Anna (west Anna). There are also those switches with special names (pivot switch, high switch , king switch, transfer switch, connection switch, bean switch, etc)
If you had to number the switches for electrical or documentation purposes, I would divide the railroad up into "stations" and then number the stations in the 100 series. The first sation is 100, the second is 200 , the 3rd is 300, etc. Then you can number the switches sequentially or in series (10x are siding switches, 11x are switches on the main track, 12x ar switches off sidings, 13x-15x are yard switches, 16x-19x are other switches). Otherwise I would name them for the track they connect to.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Switches are numbered based on thier distance from "Chain Zero". On railroads they usually use mile posts for this. So a switch might be numbered somewhat like an exit from the interstate, that is by the nearest milepost.
On The New York City Subway, the chains are 100' long. So a signal may have a number such as "D1 / 324" That signal would be on Line D, and Track 1, and would be 32,400 feet from point zero. Point Zero on the BMT would likely be 57th Street depending on what route it is. The IRT has several zero points along a line since the route was changed from the time it was built. Line A zero would be Brooklyn Bridge and run to 42nd Street at 7th Avenue. Line AA zero would be at 42nd Street (Lexington) and run north to Woodlawn Park (cemetary). Line B would be on Broadway from 42nd Street to 96th Street, but point zero would be the same as line A, so the lowest number on the B line would be the same number that ended the A line. The 7th Avenue line from South Ferry to 42nd Street was designated as line V.
The IND is even more convoluted. Point zero is about 3 miles south of Manhattan in the middle of the bay. What the heck, you can start counting anywhere you like.
Switches and Interlocking signals are numbered for the lever associated with them in the interlocking tower. The plate on the home ball might be X-16 while the upper head would have the block name plate as described above. If a train is being heal by the homeball and the motorman thinks he has been sitting there too lon he can call the tower and ask for Signal X-16 to be cleared. The tower, if he wants to move this train will have to align the entire plant to the desired route before the machine will allow him to clear the Signal X-16. The actual switch levers to be moved will vary according to where he wants the train to go.
Now on the layout of the LION, that is the Route of the Broadway LION, a model of a subway layout. LION uses chain legths of 100 feet, that is two cars length. I pushed these cars around the layout and marked my signals for their distance from point zero. I defined point zero as the south end of Chambers Street. Line A runs north to Smith 9th Street on my layout. At Smith-9th the A line continues north to 242nd Street, where the B line continues on the express track to Lenox Avenue. The numbers begin where it separated from the A line, and so B-zero is the same as A-zero. Line C runs south from Chambers Street goes around South Ferry and returns to Chambers street. Line D represents the Southbound Express from zero at Chambers Street towards Nevins Street. [A SECRET TUNNEL connects Nevins Street on the Lower Level to Lenox Avenue on the Mezinine level just above it. No need to put numbers in there. I think I will put glowing monsters in there with black lights and stuff line that. Give the Rail-Fan Camera something to look at.
All switches and home signals are numbered by the interlocking lever that controls them. To that end, LION has a proper interlocking machine to run the railroad of him.
This is the interlocking machine at Court Street in Brooklyn, You cannot see the signal and switch numbers on the model board, but I can assure you that they are there. This machine only operates the Court Street Terminal (You Are Here... it is in the Transit Museum), just the cross over and signals that apertain to the station. The model board covers all of the Hoyt Schermerhorn station controled from a different tower, but at least the Court Street operator can see what is coming at him.
Lttuna I am a beginner, question is how does one number swicthes or name them in a layout? Any rhyme or reason to it?
I am a beginner, question is how does one number swicthes or name them in a layout? Any rhyme or reason to it?
Could you please develop your question more? I'm not understanding what you're after.
Ed
I don't number my turnouts as such.
Every stretch of track is named, usually for its location, position in a yard, or for the industry or industries on a spur.
Except for the yard and staging, I use manual turnout controls, as they are much simpler for visitors to use.
The name on tracks is for giving operating directions: Proceed to Mrytle and then Mrytle passing track and WAIT for train coming from opposite direction.
This may or may not help.
Dave