Its my understanding that UP, on the two UP lines between St. Louis and Dallas, one is used northbound the other is used southbound, thereby creating, in effect, a double track main, where the tracks happen to be separated by 10 or 20 miles.
Imagine if you will, somebody who has lived or worked near the tracks for years, seeing trains go by north and going by south… then one day UP implements this directional operating strategy. For a day or two, they notice that all the trains are going south, but none ever seem to come back… and this goes on and on… eventually they start to wonder where they all go and why none ever come back.
I wonder if anybody, outside of the railfan community would be observant enough of the RR to catch that or if they’d just assume that they missed seeing the return trip.
For the most part it is directional running. However, there are trains that buck the flow on the old MO Pac that still run south into North Little Rock. I know this for a fact. Most trains headed north do take the old MO Pac route, but as I said there are some that still come south on the northbound route. These trains most generally yard at North Little Rock but some do go through. The old Cotton Belt line is used for south running. I would imagine that there are a few trains that buck the flow on that line too. Amtrak uses the old MO Pac route for both of its trains both north and southbound (throug North Little Rock to Little Rock).
We have a similar situation on the UP here in Kansas. From around Garnett,Ks [on the North],and southbound through Parsons on down to McAlister,Ok [on the South end] and from Mc Alister, Ok through Coffeeville,Ks to the Garnett area, trains run primarily Northbound.
On the Southbound side there are some BNSF unit coal trains going south, several times a week. And They also have some southbound trains into Coffeyville. Interestingly, the Steam always seems to run Southbound and Northbound into Coffeeville, and not through Parsons. Do not know why that is?
Both lines are signaled for running either way.
Sam
The MP main is not far from my home and ALOT runs south.
And ALOT runs north.
There are a few come north like the Pacer Stack train does every day.
What is really awesome is having one track occupied by a 40 mph coal train with pushers rolling thru and hearing the second train overtaking on the other track. The motorists really get very upset when they have two whole trains side by side racing down both tracks.
I have my video camera ready at all times but never ever have managed to catch it happening these last two years.
The problem is lack of specific train information in real time that will enable me to intercept and video tape such a over take meet.
Now there are a few trains that always seem to run NORTH. One of these is a DD40 with a passenger consist that looks like a very executive train and roars by at probably as fast as the track can stand.
I don’t think UP invented directional running but it certainly has been their key to regaining control of their system after the post SP merger meltdown. There are several directional running loops in Texas – and each of these loops has a few counter directional trains just to make life interesting.
Directional running might have started with the WP and SP across Nevada by the USRA during WW1. The two railroads started doing it on their own in 1924.
I believe Dale is right, the first directional running was the pairing of the SP and WP tracks across Nevada between Weso (Winnemucca) and Alazon (Wells) first done dureing WWI. When I lived in Elko (Ryndon actually) the locals seemed to know which track was used for which direction.
Directional running was also the downfall of Virginian’s electrification after the merger with N&W. It was established to give better grades to coal loads.
