Left Hand Running US Railroads or Bi directional signalling?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi All,

I am in a club in Australia which tries to model everything from Australian to US to some German and Engli***rains. We want to signal the layout but are not sure how to run Bidirectional Signalling on effectively a folded over figure 8 layout. Australian trains as in England run predominantly on the Left track. I am aware that C&NW does/did in the Chicago area (but I don’t know if Metra still does on now UP’s tracks) as well as D&H because they were designed as Left Hand railways by English builders. I understand that CP also runs Left handed North of Lake Superior (but not sure why) also Santa Fe across an area of Arizona… or at least so I believe from many pictures I have seen.

Can any number of you clarify where Left hand running takes place on long lengths of double track within North America please?

Or is there a simple way to bidirectionally signal double track automatically or suggestions as to the best way to do it? my Email is xdford47@yahoo.com.au if you feel better doing this offlist!

Thanks in Anticipation

Regards

Trevor

2

On the Long Island Rail Road, during rush hours, peak direction traffic will often be running on the “wrong” main for some portion of the trip on the mainline. Most of the signals are mounted on signal bridges overhead, not on individual masts on the side of the track.

3

The last time I rode the Capital Limited from Chicago to Washington DC we rode left handed from about Hammond Indiana to Toldedo Ohio over the ex NYC/CR mainline to Cleveland. The reason for this was that the Toledo station is on the north side of the tracks and most of the westbound freights had stops to make at the Elkhart Indiana yard which is on the south side. Why the crossover wasn’t done closer to Elkhart is beyond my understanding but that was probably in excess of 150 miles of left hand running. Back about 1978 MR had a very easy to understand series on making TTL logic IC signal circuits including one for bidirectional running. Total cost was about $3.00 per block if you did it yourself and followed the directions.

4

The really good news for you is that different US roads use different signalling systems, rules and signals. There are also diferences over time.
Two more simple solutions:-

  1. Go CNW with cab signalling… LH running and no large trackside signals.
  2. Go for Train Order (and Timetable) working… signals are just Train Order Boards at stations. Again CNW is LH running.

As a general rule US roads were /are(?) far more free about running “wrong road” over considerable difference. With Train Orders an Eastbound could be instructed to run on a westbound track between train order stations either to get round a slower moving train on the eastbound track… or to let a faster train overtake on the eastbound.

5

The Missabe Road (Duluth Missabe and Iron Range) ran left-handed on their double track iron ore lines. They are now part of Canadian National, not sure how much doubletrack they have - CN is using the Missabe mainline for trains going one direction, and the Duluth Winnepeg and Pacific mainline for trains going the opposite direction.

I think most all of CP’s track north of Lake Superior is single track. That’s semi-mountainous rocky terrain, very hard to build even a single track line thru.

6

TRADITIONALLY signals are placed on the Enginneers side. BI-DIRECTIONAL running requires occupancy detection for both directions. That includes TWO track running with crossovers, such as Santa Fe’s double track (now BNSF) across Illinois, Arizona, and recently So. California’s Mojave desert.*

*essentially AT&SF’s Atlantic & Pacific trackage - Belen NM - Barstow CA.

ISS makesBi-Directional signalling: http://www.integratedsignalsystems.com/

7

Hi all, just checked up Pat Dorins Canadian Pacific Railway and there is mention of LH running from about 50 miles east of Winnipeg to the Canadian Lakehead… the misinterpretation was mine. And yes the terrain would not be that kind having been across the top of Lake Superior 30 years ago but it was starkly beautiful.

Thanks for your inputs but more would be appreciated. Do I take it that Santa FE’s track is bidirectional and the road was not averse to running long distances Left handed?

Thanks Again

Trevor website www.xdford.digitalzones.com FYI

8

Our local CNR line is single track with passing sidings, or possibly double track with single track on the bridges over rivers. Since most of the passenger stations only have one platform, the trains run both ways on each track.