But which way is TRUE north?
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society
I'm going to contradict myself and my earlier post. Actually there are entirely prototypical situations where you could have trains operating in just one direction around your layout.
In several cases on the UP, railroads the UP gained by mergers had parallel routes, so the UP used them like double track (only with track centers that could be dozens of miles apart) , running trains in one direction on one road and the other direction on the other road. Its called directional running.
Between Dexter, MO (extreme SE MO) and Houston, TX the UP runs north on the former MP and south on the former SSW/SP. Between Paola, KS and Kansas City the UP runs south on BNSF trackage rights and the former MKT and north on the former MP. Between Paola, KS and Wagoner, OK (near Muskogee) the UP runs north on the former Mp and south on the former MKT. Between Kansas City and Jeff City, MO, the UP runs east on the River Sub and West on the Sedalia Sub.
So if you model a portion of a directional route, you would only see trains running in one direction (with the exception of locals or maybe Amtrak).
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Mine run in both directions which I call east and west.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Actually running all or at least most trains one direction only on a spcefic line is prototipical. In his college textbook on railroading for transportation planners The Railroad What It Is and What It Does John Armstrong (yes the famous model railroader) gives the example of paired track. The majority of the trains (no matter which railroad run railroad A's line and WB on railroad B's line EB.
Often the lines are in close proximity, but not always, for example the WP-SP paired track through Nevada.
Sometimes specific trains are run one direction on a given line. The example he gives: Railroad A operates a coal train WB from point a to point b. Instead of returning empty b to a, it goes north to point c where it is loaded with iron ore then returns EB to point a by direct route from point c that does not pass through point b.
The Western Pacific in the Feather River Canyon would run trains in one direction in the morning then, after a suitable break to clear the line, run in the other direction in the afternoon. This was so that they did not have to stop trains for meets on the grade, which although only 1% is actually very difficult (especially in starting EB trains) because of its length, the whole length of the trains is on the grade between Oroville and Portola with no level or down grades for relief.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Guess you could say I have a bi-railroad, goes either way.....
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Actually, two railroads had parallel tracks through a town in Iowa. It wasn't unusual for one railroad's eastbound to be standing (station stop) right next to the other's westbound - both trains headed (compass) north. Heard this many years ago, so names escape me.
Prior to its cutback to being an LA-Sacramento train in 1949, SP's "West Coast" went from being a westbound train to an eastbound train in Sacramento (and v.v.) and it changed train numbers even though it continued in the same compass direction.
From LA to Sacramento, the train was #59. From Sacramento to Portland, the train was #16. From Portland to Sacramento, the train was #15, becoming #60 in Sacramento on its way to LA. Pity the poor passenger who was three sheets to the wind.
There was no such thing as north and south on the SP, only east and west. If it was headed in the general direction of San Francisco, it was a westbound. if headed away from the general diriection of San Francisco, it was eastbound.
There's a Monty Python theme in there somewhere.
Andre
Heartland Division CB&Q What is this? East is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet? .... Actually, my layout is around the wall and double track. Trains go each way. Happy Model Railroading!
What is this? East is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet? ....
Actually, my layout is around the wall and double track. Trains go each way.
Happy Model Railroading!
Eastbounds meet westbounds all the time - hopefully on multiple track or at passing sidings...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - left hand rule)
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Mention was made of the operation of prototype railways. The Southern, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., operated most trains south-north. But, there was the Carolina Special, a train that ran between Cincinnati and Charleston, S.C., with a North Carolina section that ran between Asheville and Goldsboro, N.C. Leaving Cincinnati, it was a southbound train--but leaving Harriman Jct., Tenn., it became an eastbound train, even though from Asheville to Charleston it actually was a southbound train with an even number (it did move farther east than south).
And, when you consider the righty-lefty thing, remember the Chicago & North Western, which operated left-handed when on more than one track (though the engineer was always on the right side of the locomotive).
I would say that you should run the trains the better way that suits your layout.
Johnny
Santa Fe all the way!This thread goes to show that even a rather silly question can evoke some interesting,entertaining and informative responses.
I ended up running them this way for two reasons- my locos pull the grades (3+%) better this way with long trains, though realistically it should have been the other way around as it is actually climbing out of the station on a steeper grade now, and, the train is in a (what I call) "primary" or optimal viewing postion coming OUT of tunnels, rather than going into them.
The route for my Shay runs either way.
Duane
I have a double track main, so I usually have one train running counterclockwise on the outer loop and one clockwise on the inner loop. I run them this way to minimize trouble with the switches. I find that running trains so that they don't have to go towards the point on the switch minimizes derailments.
Long live the J!
uhhhhh.... I actually have no answer for this.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
There are some rail routes that run, primarily, one way, with no other rails in plain sight. Think of two railways that merged, one with easier westbound grades and one which favors eastbound traffic. The new 'double tracks' could be in different valleys, with a tall, rocky ridge between. (That sort of happened with the N&W, VGN merger.)
As for clockwise or counterclockwise, there aren't many routes that use that reference. Since the Tokyo loop line starts at a station a few stops south of Tokyo central the Up (toward Tokyo) trains run counterclockwise and the Down trains run clockwise - but the timetable says Up or Down, not clock direction.
In North America trains run (timetable) North/South or East/West. Our island-dwelling brethren across both oceans run Up (toward the capital city) or Down (away...) no matter how convoluted the intervening route. On my layout, Down trains have to drag themselves up a 2.5% grade to Tomikawa. The Up trains run downhill...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I'm left-handed, but on the Yuba River Sub, if a train runs to the right out of the main depot of Deer Creek, it's ascending to the summit of the Sierra Nevada, if it runs left, it's heading downgrade to the Central Valley. At least in theory. However, my garage layout is laid out in a very large double-dog-bone, so thanks to a couple of horseshoe curves, my trains could be ascending or descending in almost ANY direction, LOL! For instance, Yuba Summit--the crest of the Sierra--should be to the east (right) of Deer Creek, however it has ended up actually being to the WEST (left) of Deer Creek, because that's the only place I could fit it.
Yah, PLAN AHEAD, lol!
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I hear the poles are getting closer to flipping again. I suppose all will be well then.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
This works fine Brent if you are looking at it from the North as opposed to the stereotypical view with South on the bottom.
If you cannot fix it with a hammer;
You have an electrical problem!
I also have my East and West reversed. The bench on the left is suppose to be East of the Rockies, while the bench on the right is suppose to be West of the Rockies. In reality the bench on the left is on the West side of the room. Oh well at least the line through the Rockies is in between the two.
Now my brain hurts, I just can't tell if it is the right side or the left side that's hurting.
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Your prototype may give guidance whether you're working with N/S or E/W. The Rio Grande gives me E/W to work with.
But this is a bigger issue than just model railroading, which are mapmaker's conventions or rules of thumb. West is to the left, while East is to the right, presuming that a person is oriented at all. I'm constantly surprised at how many people are clueless about what's E/W/N/S in conversation just here in the community, but I;m from out in the country, so...
Anyway, people will tend to follow that convention. N/S is somewhat different, although again there's a tendency to see S as left and N as right.
Which doesn't mean you need to, so long as your stations and other locations are clearly marked as E or W on the signage so people can refer to them to relieve any slight confusion. In my case, the way the trackplan and room worked out, I have E/W backward, as East if to the left, while West is to the right. It's bothered me a little, but not as much as the other compromises needed to fix that in the original plan to do it the usual way.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Look at your TIMETABLE. Nost railroads have an EAST and a WEST according to their timetables.
LION follows the practice of NYCT and has a NORTH and a SOUTH according to its timetable direction.
At the north end of the layout is 242nd Street, a two track/center island terminal with a double crossover switch at its south end. At the south end of the layout is the South Ferry Loop, a sing track, single platform station that turns southbound train into northbound trains by the secret legerdemain of the timetable.
The express trains also run north and south (each on its own loop, but you the viewer cannot see that this is so). So no matter where a train is on the layout it is either northbound or southbound and usually I have to look at the train and think twice before I can picture which way it is going according to the timetable.
Anyway, the information is right there in front of you on your timetable. If you have not made a timetable yet, once you do so you will find out which way your trains are going.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
It's a left brain right brain thing. If you are more of a lefty you will generally run your trains in a counter clockwise direction, as this gives you a feeling of comfort and organization. An adventuresome type (right brained) will run them clockwise as it gives a feeling of challenge and makes them feel like they are off to conquer new frontiers.
I have traveled the world and have participated in what many would consider somewhat extreme activities, but when I am tired I like to just sit and watch them run in an anti clockwise direction, it relaxes me. When I am full of pi** and vinegar I run them the other way.
I have a dual-track main around the walls, so it doesn't really matter, except that I have the outside track as primarily counter-clockwise and the inside track clockwise, and have labelled them respectively northbound and southbound. If you have a single track mainline, run 'em however you want - there is certainly no "rule" about it.
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
My trains go in both directions because that's how trains run.
Car races and merry go rounds just travel in one direction.
Santa Fe all the way!For those of you that have an around the walls layout like I do, which direction do your trains travel? Is there a "right" way/rule?? I ask this because I intended to have my trains go left to right, but the way things are looking, it would look better for them to go right to left. I know its sort of a silly question, but chime in and tell me which way your trains travel and why. Thanks.
Why wouldn't they go both directions? The real ones do.
My layout is a linear around the walls affair - to the left is WEST, to the right is EAST. trains run in both directions.
My layout is double track, but even a single track line with a few passing sidings can support operations in both directions.
Sheldon