Trying to set up JMRI OperationsPro to build consist. That requires that I name all the track. I am OK so far except for nameing the double track main portions. The travel direction on this track is north/south. Is their a standard or typical convention for individuals RR's to name this type of track?
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
I'm going to start the ball rolling with: "north-bound main" and "south-bound main" and assume right hand running.
Ed
My suggestion would be EastMain and WestMain. Then you can run left or right as necessary for switching.
Dave
7j43k I'm going to start the ball rolling with: "north-bound main" and "south-bound main" and assume right hand running. Ed
Rich
Alton Junction
That is how I expected to do it in the absence of any specific info to the contrary.
I listen to rail conversations on broadcastify.com. They refer to track 1 and 2.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
How main tracks are designated will be found in the rule books or special instructions of a specific railroad. Current General Code of Operating Rules (GCOR) specify multiple main tracks to be numbered, beginning with 1 on the northern most track for east/west subdivisions, or the western most track on north/south subdivisions.
In years past on double track in current of traffic territory they might be the eastward/westward/northward/southward track. In CTC territory they might be the east/west/north/south track.
Jeff
I dont use dcc, ... or follow the rule's ... but I thought I would give you my 2 cent's.
This Track.
That track.
problem solved.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Lots of different ways to do it. Unless you are modeling current of traffic, rule 251 territory, I would not suggest "Northbound", "Southbound" because in reality, trains can run on either direction on either track. The general direction for a N-S railroad would be an east main and a west main. They can also be numbered, the numbering can be what ever you want but typically on a N-S main, the east main is #1 and the west main is #2 (on an E-W railroad the north main is #1 and the south main is #2). With more than two mains they typical numbering is either east to west or north to south (1-2-3-4), or the number them from the inside out with od on the east or north side (3-1-2-4).
Having said all that, that might not make any difference to your real question. Since you are configuring JMRI, you probably want to name the main or each part of the main at each station, rather than the whole main track, so you can hold cars on those tracks. That might mean naming them "N Anna #1", "Anna #1", "S Anna #1", "N Anna #2", "Anna #2", "S Anna #2", and so forth at each station so the segments are unique tracks. N Anna would be north of the N switch/crossover at a station, siding or yard, Anna would be between the switches/crossovers at a station or siding and S Anna would be south of south switch/crossover at a station or siding.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
North or East bound tracks are "Main 1", South or West bound tracks are "Main 2".
.
dehusman Having said all that, that might not make any difference to your real question. Since you are configuring JMRI, you probably want to name the main or each part of the main at each station, rather than the whole main track, so you can hold cars on those tracks. That might mean naming them "N Anna #1", "Anna #1", "S Anna #1", "N Anna #2", "Anna #2", "S Anna #2", and so forth at each station so the segments are unique tracks. N Anna would be north of the N switch/crossover at a station, siding or yard, Anna would be between the switches/crossovers at a station or siding and S Anna would be south of south switch/crossover at a station or siding.
Dave....I think your response hit the right spot for me. Naming with a simple number would be confusing to me. I need a name that relates to a specific spot on my tracks so I can relate to the spot.
As far as numbering, if the line was originally built as a single-track main which was later double-tracked, usually I believe the old line would be track 1 and the other track would be track 2. But it was different for each railroad. In doing some quick research, I found this reply by "timz" to a similar question back in 2006 on another website, referring to New York Central's four track mainline....
Usually passenger tracks on the NY Central were tracks 1 and 2, freight tracks were 3 and 4. Sometimes passenger tracks were the inside of the four (so tracks were numbered 3-1-2-4 north to south) but on one or two divisions the two passenger tracks were next to the two freight tracks, so the numbering was 3-4-1-2.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1256885
For model purposes, I guess I would look at how you number your trains. If even numbered trains are northbound and odd numbered trains are southbound, I would call the northbound line 'track 2' (even number) and southbound 'track 1' (odd number). Or just call them "northbound" and "southbound".
PEDNaming with a simple number would be confusing to me. I need a name that relates to a specific spot on my tracks so I can relate to the spot.
BigJim PED Naming with a simple number would be confusing to me. I need a name that relates to a specific spot on my tracks so I can relate to the spot. Whew!!!Why is this so hard to understand? The track is either the "mainline" or "siding" or "main 1" or "main 2", etc. PLACES have names, control points have names, or Milepost 32! "Hold the main(Main 1) at Midvale" or "Take the siding(Main 2) at Midvale".Y'all are making this much harder than it is.
PED Naming with a simple number would be confusing to me. I need a name that relates to a specific spot on my tracks so I can relate to the spot.
Whew!!!Why is this so hard to understand? The track is either the "mainline" or "siding" or "main 1" or "main 2", etc.
PLACES have names, control points have names, or Milepost 32! "Hold the main(Main 1) at Midvale" or "Take the siding(Main 2) at Midvale".Y'all are making this much harder than it is.
PED Dave....I think your response hit the right spot for me. Naming with a simple number would be confusing to me. I need a name that relates to a specific spot on my tracks so I can relate to the spot.
BigJimWhy is this so hard to understand? The track is either the "mainline" or "siding" or "main 1" or "main 2", etc.
What you are missing is he is trying to name things for a JMRI car forwarding program. He needs unique names for tracks where he is going to put cars.
If he wants to be able to report cars on main track #2 at Cloy, then he can't can't call it just "main track #2", because main track #2 runs from Anna to Eve. So he has to name just the part at Cloy in the car forwarding system.
The way the prototype does this is to make tracks a combination of a station, a yard or zone and and a track. For example There might be 5000 stations and yards on a railroad with track 100 on the UP, but only one of them is at station B461, yard 01.
This isn't really a dispatching or operating department question, its actually a computer data formatting question.
Thank you for the clarification. Good luck with all that!