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Double track main -naming convention

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  • Member since
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  • From: Roanoke, VA
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Posted by BigJim on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 10:14 PM

Thank you for the clarification. Good luck with all that!

.

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Posted by dehusman on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 10:09 PM

BigJim
Why 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.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 11:23 AM

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. 

Jim, I think that you are inadvertently taking the OP's comment out of comtext. Here is his full comment.

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. 

In other words, he got a suggestion that suited him, and he decided to go with it.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by BigJim on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 11:04 AM

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.

.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 12:54 PM

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".

Stix
PED
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Posted by PED on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 8:12 AM

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.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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Posted by BigJim on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 6:41 AM

North or East bound tracks are "Main 1", South or West bound tracks are "Main 2".

.

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Posted by dehusman on Monday, October 22, 2018 10:25 PM

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

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  • From: Douglas AZ.
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Posted by Little Timmy on Monday, October 22, 2018 8:42 PM

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 !

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Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, October 22, 2018 5:37 PM

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

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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, October 22, 2018 5:11 PM

I listen to rail conversations on broadcastify.com.  They refer to track 1 and 2.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

PED
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Posted by PED on Monday, October 22, 2018 5:03 PM

7j43k

I'm going to start the ball rolling with:  "north-bound main" and "south-bound main" and assume right hand running.

 

Ed

 

That is how I expected to do it in the absence of any specific info to the contrary. 

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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Posted by richhotrain on Monday, October 22, 2018 3:42 PM

7j43k

I'm going to start the ball rolling with:  "north-bound main" and "south-bound main" and assume right hand running. 

Ed 

I agree with Ed. I am modeling the 4-track C&WI mainline that led into Dearborn Station in downtown Chicago. From top to bottom, with west at the top on a track diagram, the four tracks were designated West Lead, Southbound Main, Northbound Main, and East Lead as the 4-track mainline ran north into Dearborn Station.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by davidmurray on Monday, October 22, 2018 3:42 PM

My suggestion would be EastMain and WestMain.  Then you can run left or right as necessary for switching.

Dave

 

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, October 22, 2018 3:22 PM

I'm going to start the ball rolling with:  "north-bound main" and "south-bound main" and assume right hand running.

 

Ed

PED
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Double track main -naming convention
Posted by PED on Monday, October 22, 2018 2:04 PM

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 Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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