Are there Eastbound tracks and Westbound tracks on the North Empire Builder route for example?

[Skimmy]

Checking out how my trains i will be using (Track your trains on the Amtrak site) are following the timetables and noticed Eastbound and (Havre) Westbound Empire Builder and also the California Zephyr Eastbound and (Glenwood Springs) Westbound coming together. Made me wonder if there are Westbound tracks and Eastbound tracks. If not, who has to go to a siding and why? Can see a good reason for being late if had to wait for an approaching freight or other train coming on.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Depends on whether there is double tracking. There are a lot of areas that are NOT double tracked. Who takes the siding, if the freight is too long to fit a siding, obviously Amtrak has to take it.

 

[zephyr17]

The former Rio Grande route through Colorado is single track. One of them will take a siding. One note, there is not a whole lot of freight traffic on that route. Almost none west of Grand Junction. The only trains using it west of GJT right now are the California Zephyr and a BNSF train that runs on trackage rights granted as part of the UP/SP merger. The traditional meeting point of the CZs back in the private railroad days was Grizzly siding just east of Glenwood Springs in Glenwood Canyon.

The BNSF ex-GN High Line through Montana used to be largely single tracked, but there is a lot more Two Main Track now than there used to be as BNSF did a pretty big capacity increase during/after the Williston oil boom. The High Line is heavily trafficked, although BNSF is generally fairly good about dispatching Amtrak. It still can get held up though. Luckily, BNSF has not generally adopted the (im)Precision Scheduled Railroading philosophy, so their trains do generally still fit in their sidings.

Generally, newer sections of multiple main track are not directional "double track". They are "multiple main track" CTC where the mains are signaled for track speed movement in either direction on either main. The dispatcher is in charge of the crossovers and trains just follow signal indication on either main.

 

[TrackWalker]

Thanks, Zephyr17 for explaining and clarifying the definitions between "double track" and "multiple main track."

TW
S-W, WA

 

[Skimmy]

The former Rio Grande route through Colorado is single track. One of them will take a siding. One note, there is not a whole lot of freight traffic on that route. Almost none west of Grand Junction. The only trains using it west of GCT right now are the California Zephyr and a BNSF train that runs on trackage rights granted as part of the UP/SP merger. The traditional meeting point of the CZs back in the private railroad days was Grizzly siding just east of Glenwood Springs in Glenwood Canyon.

The BNSF ex-GN High Line through Montana used to be largely single tracked, but there is a lot more Two Main Track now than there used to be as BNSF did a pretty big capacity increase during/after the Williston oil boom. The High Line is heavily trafficked, although BNSF is generally fairly good about dispatching Amtrak. It still can get held up though. Luckily, BNSF has not generally adopted the (im)Precision Scheduled Railroading philosophy, so their trains do generally still fit in their sidings.

Generally, newer sections of multiple main track are not directional "double track". They are "multiple main track" CTC where the mains are signaled for track speed movement in either direction on either main. The dispatcher is in charge of the crossovers and trains just follow signal indication on either main.

Thanks for the reply and great information. Funny, my brothers and I used to play the "Rail Baron" board game. Got to learn all the RR in US. GN Great Northern, NP Northern Pacific, UP, WP Western Pacific, D&RGW Denver and Rio Grande, CMSt.P &P. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific-Milwaukee Road, SP Southern Pacific. Great memories. We play a railroad computer game now called "Ticket to ride" with microphone so we can talk between Michigan and Texas.

 

[OBS]

Thanks for the reply and great information. Funny, my brothers and I used to play the "Rail Baron" board game. Got to learn all the RR in US. GN Great Northern, NP Northern Pacific, UP, WP Western Pacific, D&RGW Denver and Rio Grande, CMSt.P &P. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific-Milwaukee Road, SP Southern Pacific. Great memories. We play a railroad computer game now called "Ticket to ride" with microphone so we can talk between Michigan and Texas.

Slightly off topic, but I love the game Rail Baron!

 

[Seaboard92]

There are places with directional running however in the Amtrak system. The California Zephyr has a stretch in Nevada with the old Western Pacific, and the Southern Pacific mains. I forget which direction runs on who though. The Texas Eagle also has two different departure routes from San Antonio. One is EX MOPAC, and the other is EX KATY.

 

[zephyr17]

Trains generally run eastbound on the former WP, westbound on the former SP on the paired track between Weso (near Winnemucca) and Alazon (near Wells). Paired track, directional double track and multiple main track are all related but all slightly different. Paired track is usually running directionally on two separate (or formerly separate) railroads, like the ex-SP, ex-WP paired track arrangement in Nevada, or CN and CP through Fraser River Canyon in BC. Double track is on one railroad's ROW and where there is a "current of traffic". Metra and CP's ex-Milwaukee Road line between Chicago and Milwaukee used to be directional double track at least until fairly recently. It may be 2 main track now, I don't know. It was excruciating on the Empire Builder when it missed its Metra slot and was stuck behind an all stops Metra commuter train and was unable to get around even though there was little traffic coming the other way.

Much of the Santa Fe was left hand running double track through New Mexico. It is now 2 Main Track, but the old Santa Fe ATS is still only for directional running so the Southwest Chief can only run 90 if they put it on the correct main. Most BNSF dispatchers do, though.

 

[zephyr17]

There are places with directional running however in the Amtrak system. The California Zephyr has a stretch in Nevada with the old Western Pacific, and the Southern Pacific mains. I forget which direction runs on who though. The Texas Eagle also has two different departure routes from San Antonio. One is EX MOPAC, and the other is EX KATY.

I think the Sunset also runs directionally between Houston and Beaumont, one way on the former MoPac, the other on the former SP. I seem to recall we had to do considerable messing around leaving Houston to get onto the former MoPac.

 

[JontyMort]

Trains generally run eastbound on the former WP, westbound on the former SP on the paired track between Weso (near Winnemucca) and Alazon (near Wells). Paired track, directional double track and multiple main track are all related but all slightly different. Paired track is usually running directionally on two separate (or formerly separate) railroads, like the ex-SP, ex-WP paired track arrangement in Nevada, or CN and CP through Fraser River Canyon in BC. Double track is on one railroad's ROW and where there is a "current of traffic". Metra and CP's ex-Milwaukee Road line between Chicago and Milwaukee used to be directional double track at least until fairly recently. It may be 2 main track now, I don't know. It was excruciating on the Empire Builder when it missed its Metra slot and was stuck behind an all stops Metra commuter train and was unable to get around even though there was little traffic coming the other way.

Much of the Santa Fe was left hand running double track through New Mexico. It is now 2 Main Track, but the old Santa Fe ATS is still only for directional running so the Southwest Chief can only run 90 if they put it on the correct main. Most BNSF dispatchers do, though.

By “2 main” I presume you mean a double track line, but with both tracks signalled for running in either direction?

 

[zephyr17]

Basically yes. Rules differentiate between "Double Track" which has current of traffic, and "Multiple Main Track" (including "two main track"), which doesn't.