Rail yard track numbering

It's a good question a pity no one has answered it.

I have always wondered if the yard tracks are numbered from top to bottom or vice versa. Like in the photo we call the lower through track #1 and so on up to 5 then the two dead end tracks we call siding 1 and siding 2. This is loosely based on Australian practice I don't know how it is done in America but I would like to know. Thanks Roo.

It has been my experience that yard tracks, and any multiple set of tracks, are numbered from the main line over.
For example, Main Line, 1, 2, 3, etc.
Here in Roanoke Terminal there were two main lines, east bound and west bound. They bordered the the entire yard (with the exception of industrial spurs to the outside). The yard is also bisected by two running tracks, eastbound and westbound. So, tracks to the left (facing west) of the west bound main line ascend in number as far as the westbound running track.  Tracks to the left (facing east) of the east bound main line ascend in order as far as the eastbound running track.
Out on the road, if there is a multiple track yard or siding, the track numbers ascend from the main line.

Easy-peasy!

PS _ Large industrial plants are another matter. They may number or letter their tracks any way they want and sometimes without making much sense.

Big Jim has it right.

Prototype practice is to number tracks sequentially in ascending order away from the main line. It is a “universal” system in the sense that I’ve never seen it done any other way.

Thank you.  Now I know.  Makes lots of sense.

Big Jim posted:

It has been my experience that yard tracks, and any multiple set of tracks, are numbered from the main line over.
For example, Main Line, 1, 2, 3, etc.
Here in Roanoke Terminal there were two main lines, east bound and west bound. They bordered the the entire yard (with the exception of industrial spurs to the outside). The yard is also bisected by two running tracks, eastbound and westbound. So, tracks to the left (facing west) of the west bound main line ascend in number as far as the westbound running track.  Tracks to the left (facing east) of the east bound main line ascend in order as far as the eastbound running track.
Out on the road, if there is a multiple track yard or siding, the track numbers ascend from the main line.

Easy-peasy!

PS _ Large industrial plants are another matter. They may number or letter their tracks any way they want and sometimes without making much sense.

Same on this end of the Pokey Jim.

Portsmouth Ohio is a wrap around yard,were the west bound main lies on  the north side of the yard and the east bound on the south side.

All tracks run from the main lines to the center 1 to say 32,both directions from both mains.

Theres usually a center run thru track that goes from one end of the yard to the other,and it is the ending point of the numbered tracks from the mainline inward.

And like in Portsmouth OH and Williamson WV all the individual yards within the yard, are all numbered 1 to what ever the same way from the main towards the center.

Both Portsmouth and Williamson yards center run thru track is called "Turkey Trot" track.

Google; Pennsylvania's sunnyside yard in queens ny. You'll find trackage callouts, at least the way they did it. At Selkirk,mains #1,2 etc... running e/w, starting1 on south side progressing north. But their is a caveat, one east track turnout horseshoes N.W.to the engine service facility,just past a track 1to2 x-over. 

While numbering tracks starting next to the main track and working toward the farthest is indeed the common prototype practice (and is easy to remember), I would add one thing:  If you have a separate passenger yard, those tracks are usually in a different number series, often starting with a larger number, such as 101, 102, etc. and working from nearest to the main track to farthest.  (That keeps freight equipment out of the passenger yard.)

Number 90 posted:

While numbering tracks starting next to the main track and working toward the farthest is indeed the common prototype practice (and is easy to remember), I would add one thing:  If you have a separate passenger yard, those tracks are usually in a different number series, often starting with a larger number, such as 101, 102, etc. and working from nearest to the main track to farthest.  (That keeps freight equipment out of the passenger yard.)

Tom 

This just makes me chuckle, but I bet it happens. 

Jamie

I work for NS and the number 1 track always starts beside the mainline. 

Max Warfel posted:

I work for NS and the number 1 track always starts beside the mainline. 

So how do you number staggered (approximately across from each other) siding(s) north and south of the single east/west mainline?

rrman posted:

Max Warfel posted:

I work for NS and the number 1 track always starts beside the mainline. 

So how do you number staggered (approximately across from each other) siding(s) north and south of the single east/west mainline?

Not to mention, what if the main line is double track?

rrman posted:

Max Warfel posted:

I work for NS and the number 1 track always starts beside the mainline. 

So how do you number staggered (approximately across from each other) siding(s) north and south of the single east/west mainline?

Can you rephrase that or show me an example of what you are speaking of? 

Big Jim posted:

rrman posted:

Max Warfel posted:

I work for NS and the number 1 track always starts beside the mainline. 

So how do you number staggered (approximately across from each other) siding(s) north and south of the single east/west mainline?

Can you rephrase that or show me an example of what you are speaking of? 

Assume traveling west to east on a single main line and come to right (south) diverting turnout for a long right handed siding. So many feet ahead is a left (north) diverting turnout for a long left handed siding.  So many thousand feet ahead they rejoin the main line.  So how would those sidings be numbered since they parallel the main line?  Who is siding 1 and other siding 2? 

There are probably different terms for yards on both side of a main line,,,, Ex... north side, south side, old yard, new yard. Etc.... There is a difference between sidings and yard tracks, Siding are  tracks auxiliary  to the main track for meeting or passing trains,  Sidings and their capacities will be designated in the time table or special instructions. This is not the case with yard tracks. Sidings will have names (not numbers).

rrman posted:

Assume traveling west to east on a single main line and come to right (south) diverting turnout for a long right handed siding. So many feet ahead is a left (north) diverting turnout for a long left handed siding.  So many thousand feet ahead they rejoin the main line.  So how would those sidings be numbered since they parallel the main line?  Who is siding 1 and other siding 2? 

There could be a number of ways to name them, depending on if they are signaled or unsignaled and i won't try to list all of the possibilities.  
Lets suppose that they are unsignaled.
You could have the Main Line, diverging to the Siding, once in the siding you can diverge to the Middle Track.
Here is a real world example of the yard at Waynesboro, Va.

Note that the main line and siding are signaled. The siding used to be called the "Southbound Siding". Things changed years ago when the dispatcher's office went to computers. Now the Main Line is referred to as "Main One" and the siding is "Main Two".

As far as I know the sidings aren’t numbered. The line between Atlanta and Chattanooga and Atlanta and Macon don’t have consecutive sidings like you speak of. You’ll have one then another miles further down. But like I said I don’t recall ever hearing them being numbered. Just yard tracks. 

Gregg posted:

Sidings will have names (not numbers).

Not true.... cajon pass sidings are numbered... click #'s so to speak.

8391 is off main 3 east bound out of San Bernardino. Hand throw switches and derails.

8392 is a controlled siding off main 3 at ono, dispatcher controlled switches and derail.

8380 and 8381 are off Main One between Baseline & Verdermont. Hand throws and derails. Now for some reason these sidings were numbered against the common rule. 8381 is next to the main...8380 is furthest from the main.... and NO ONE knows why these two tracks were numbered backwards.

My only guess is they numbered them as if they we mainlines... 8380 on the left looking east and 8381. But that makes no sense...they are not mainlines. They are sidings off Main One.

I won't even try to explain the numbering system of Albuquerque yard....someone was drunk/high when those track charts were made.

Laidoffsick posted:

Gregg posted:

Sidings will have names (not numbers).

Not true.... cajon pass sidings are numbered... click #'s so to speak.

8391 is off main 3 east bound out of San Bernardino. Hand throw switches and derails.

8392 is a controlled siding off main 3 at ono, dispatcher controlled switches and derail.

8380 and 8381 are off Main One between Baseline & Verdermont. Hand throws and derails. Now for some reason these sidings were numbered against the common rule. 8381 is next to the main...8380 is furthest from the main.... and NO ONE knows why these two tracks were numbered backwards.

My only guess is they numbered them as if they we mainlines... 8380 on the left looking east and 8381. But that makes no sense...they are not mainlines. They are sidings off Main One.

You've got an era problem here.  I'd give 99:1 odds you wopuld not have seen those numbers in the 50's - 60's - pre-computer era.

Four digit siding nu8mbers indicate renumbering for a computer system in which it was decided to give a unique number to each piece of track in a large area, or even on a whole railroad.

My railroading days were in 1959 to 1980, and we rarely saw track numbers that were part of more than a single station or terminal area.

The usuual system for main line tracks was that nort and westbound was odd and south and east were even.  A large majority of American railroads used that system.   At stations, tracks were numbered away from the main, westbound being 1,3,5,etc. and EB being 2,4,etc.  That did not apply to yards.  Yard tracks were usually numbered away from the main.  At a terminal with an eastbound yard and a westbound yard on opposite sides of the main, you would see a duplicate set of track numbers.

The big difference was the PRR.  Their tracks were numbered in a contious sequence from one side to the other.  I was at Newark, NJ last week, now Amtrak and NJT.  The eastbound tracks are 1, 2 and 3 while westbound are 4, 5 and 6.

As for sidings in main line territory, look in any employee timetable of the times, and you will see only station names on sidings.  If two siding overlapped, they might be called east siding and west siding.  Note that station doesn't necessarily mean a place where pasengers are freigth are handled,  Station is defined as a place on the main line named in the timetable.

Speaking of sidings back in the days (train order territory,) I ran across a form Z in my old rule book.

FormZ---SIDING TO BE USED AS MAIN TRACK.

(1) Main track out of service between switches at Cold Water(needed a name). Switches lined and secured for siding. Trains will move through siding at restricted speed.

This form of order to be used when necessary to use a siding for main track movements.

Having said that  you're the a crew member on a switcher  type job that has work to do on spurs off the siding with no place to  clear and you're now on a hot shot passengers time (first class train) coming from the rear.

Question..... Are you going to send out the flag for outside ABS territory.??

Gregg posted:

Speaking of sidings back in the days (train order territory,) I ran across a form Z in my old rule book.

FormZ---SIDING TO BE USED AS MAIN TRACK.

(1) Main track out of service between switches at Cold Water(needed a name). Switches lined and secured for siding. Trains will move through siding at restricted speed.

This form of order to be used when necessary to use a siding for main track movements.

Having said that  you're the a crew member on a switcher  type job that has work to do on spurs off the siding with no place to  clear and you're now on a hot shot passengers time (first class train) coming from the rear.

Question..... Are you going to send out the flag for outside ABS territory.??

Unnecessary to flag when track speed is restricted speed for any reason.  The definition of restricted speed from my old employer's AMT-1 Book of Operating Rules (effective 4/29/79), "Restricted Speed - Proceed prepared to stop short of train, obstruction, or switch not properly lined, looking out for broken rail, not exceeding 15 miles per hour."  That puts responsibility for safe movement squarely on the crew operating under restricted speed, regardless of whether that speed is authorized by signal indication, train order, or special instruction portion of the timetable.  The "not exceeding" portion of the rule was always interpreted by our Rules Examiners to mean that a train could do less than 15 if weather, curves, or other conditions prevented 15 from being a safe speed.

mlaughlinnyc posted:

Laidoffsick posted:

Gregg posted:

Sidings will have names (not numbers).

Not true.... cajon pass sidings are numbered... click #'s so to speak.

8391 is off main 3 east bound out of San Bernardino. Hand throw switches and derails.

8392 is a controlled siding off main 3 at ono, dispatcher controlled switches and derail.

8380 and 8381 are off Main One between Baseline & Verdermont. Hand throws and derails. Now for some reason these sidings were numbered against the common rule. 8381 is next to the main...8380 is furthest from the main.... and NO ONE knows why these two tracks were numbered backwards.

My only guess is they numbered them as if they we mainlines... 8380 on the left looking east and 8381. But that makes no sense...they are not mainlines. They are sidings off Main One.

You've got an era problem here.  I'd give 99:1 odds you wopuld not have seen those numbers in the 50's - 60's - pre-computer era. 

 

I must have missed the part where the OP ask for a specific era

Bill Chaplik posted:

Gregg posted:

Speaking of sidings back in the days (train order territory,) I ran across a form Z in my old rule book.

FormZ---SIDING TO BE USED AS MAIN TRACK.

(1) Main track out of service between switches at Cold Water(needed a name). Switches lined and secured for siding. Trains will move through siding at restricted speed.

This form of order to be used when necessary to use a siding for main track movements.

Having said that  you're the a crew member on a switcher  type job that has work to do on spurs off the siding with no place to  clear and you're now on a hot shot passengers time (first class train) coming from the rear.

Question..... Are you going to send out the flag for outside ABS territory.??

Unnecessary to flag when track speed is restricted speed for any reason.  The definition of restricted speed from my old employer's AMT-1 Book of Operating Rules (effective 4/29/79), "Restricted Speed - Proceed prepared to stop short of train, obstruction, or switch not properly lined, looking out for broken rail, not exceeding 15 miles per hour."  That puts responsibility for safe movement squarely on the crew operating under restricted speed, regardless of whether that speed is authorized by signal indication, train order, or special instruction portion of the timetable.  The "not exceeding" portion of the rule was always interpreted by our Rules Examiners to mean that a train could do less than 15 if weather, curves, or other conditions prevented 15 from being a safe speed.

 I agree, no need to flag however we now have a situation where   the switcher has finished it's work and the first class passenger train stopped at the rear of the caboose. No where to let the passenger train  pass but at the next station.  Arrangements between crews are made and the switcher leaves the siding and  heads out. If I was the Conductor I might even have the rear brakeman on the switcher  ride the cab of the pass train just in case  type  of distraction. The Pass drops off the Brakeman and carries on,,,, so does  the switcher after a 20 minute block or radio conformation that he's by the next siding.  The end