Process of Turning a Train: What Does It Entail?

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Turning a train...

1. One big freaking turntable.

2. Uncouple the train, switch each car and locomotive and turn on a normal sized turntable, reassemble the consist, couple, and go a couple days later.

3. A balloon track.

4. A wye with long enough legs to turn the entire train.
5. A wye with a leg too short.. repeat the procedure #2.

Reversing a train... the hard way

1. Uncouple the locomotives and turn per "turning a train", move to opposite end of train and couple.

2. Flat switch any head end or tail end cars to there respective new positions.

3. Flip any seats as needed.

Reversing a train... a little easier.

1. Plan ahead, two locomotives back to back. Simply flat switch the locomotives to the opposite end and couple.

2. Deal with flipping seats and head/tail end cars the "hard" way.

Reversing a train the easy way

1. Locomotive at one end of train and a cab car or locomotive on the other. Engineer simply changes seats.
2. Don't flip seats.

3. No head end/tail end cars.
 
Turning a train...

1. One big freaking turntable.

2. Uncouple the train, switch each car and locomotive and turn on a normal sized turntable, reassemble the consist, couple, and go a couple days later.

3. A balloon track.

4. A wye with long enough legs to turn the entire train.

5. A wye with a leg too short.. repeat the procedure #2.

Reversing a train... the hard way

1. Uncouple the locomotives and turn per "turning a train", move to opposite end of train and couple.

2. Flat switch any head end or tail end cars to there respective new positions.

3. Flip any seats as needed.

Reversing a train... a little easier.

1. Plan ahead, two locomotives back to back. Simply flat switch the locomotives to the opposite end and couple.

2. Deal with flipping seats and head/tail end cars the "hard" way.

Reversing a train the easy way

1. Locomotive at one end of train and a cab car or locomotive on the other. Engineer simply changes seats.

2. Don't flip seats.

3. No head end/tail end cars.
You forgot about wyes and loops.
 
Turning a train...

1. One big freaking turntable.

2. Uncouple the train, switch each car and locomotive and turn on a normal sized turntable, reassemble the consist, couple, and go a couple days later.

3. A balloon track.

4. A wye with long enough legs to turn the entire train.

5. A wye with a leg too short.. repeat the procedure #2.

Reversing a train... the hard way

1. Uncouple the locomotives and turn per "turning a train", move to opposite end of train and couple.

2. Flat switch any head end or tail end cars to there respective new positions.

3. Flip any seats as needed.

Reversing a train... a little easier.

1. Plan ahead, two locomotives back to back. Simply flat switch the locomotives to the opposite end and couple.

2. Deal with flipping seats and head/tail end cars the "hard" way.

Reversing a train the easy way

1. Locomotive at one end of train and a cab car or locomotive on the other. Engineer simply changes seats.

2. Don't flip seats.

3. No head end/tail end cars.
You forgot about wyes and loops.
Did you miss 3, 4 and 5 under reversing the train? [emoji57]
 
Turning a train...

1. One big freaking turntable.

2. Uncouple the train, switch each car and locomotive and turn on a normal sized turntable, reassemble the consist, couple, and go a couple days later.

3. A balloon track.

4. A wye with long enough legs to turn the entire train.

5. A wye with a leg too short.. repeat the procedure #2.

Reversing a train... the hard way

1. Uncouple the locomotives and turn per "turning a train", move to opposite end of train and couple.

2. Flat switch any head end or tail end cars to there respective new positions.

3. Flip any seats as needed.

Reversing a train... a little easier.

1. Plan ahead, two locomotives back to back. Simply flat switch the locomotives to the opposite end and couple.

2. Deal with flipping seats and head/tail end cars the "hard" way.

Reversing a train the easy way

1. Locomotive at one end of train and a cab car or locomotive on the other. Engineer simply changes seats.

2. Don't flip seats.

3. No head end/tail end cars.
You forgot about wyes and loops.
Did you miss 3, 4 and 5 under reversing the train? [emoji57]
Apparently I did.

What I think happened there was that the "Turning a train..." section was the only case where the different numbered items were a bunch of different ways of doing it, rather than the steps involved, so I mentally glossed over it.

Sorry!
 
What kind of "train" is that? That just an old car fitted with train wheels?
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2) I heard some passengers complaining about the exterior being dirty. Granted, the railroad isn't exactly the cleanest place in the world, but it makes me wonder why Amtrak wouldn't run the consist through the wash as part of the process? The LD trains out of Chicago would be fairly simple from some of the videos I've seen. The train pulls engine first into CUS, then backs out onto the wye to turn the train around. From what I saw, they shove into the coach/engine yard for interior cleaning. Wouldn't it be possible to back through the wash on the way to the yard? I mean, you have to do so anyway. Maybe they already do that for the LD trains, but the corridor trains would be nice too. Cleanliness is important, after all.

Thanks
If a train turns in the station, it will not have access to the wash.  Quite a few trains will turn in the station die to scheduling issues (meaning there isn't enough time between runs to get it to the yard.)  Not all facilities have a wash so it sometimes it can be a few days before a train may make it to the wash. This of course assumes that the temperature is high enough to wash the train and there are no restrictions in the consist.
 
If a train turns in the station, it will not have access to the wash.  Quite a few trains will turn in the station die to scheduling issues (meaning there isn't enough time between runs to get it to the yard.)  Not all facilities have a wash so it sometimes it can be a few days before a train may make it to the wash. This of course assumes that the temperature is high enough to wash the train and there are no restrictions in the consist.
Sorry, they put the trains through a wash every time they turn the train? Why is that necessary?
 
Brightline also have no need to wye their trains since 50 % of their seats are facing the "wrong way". If Amtrak gets Siemens cars as expected, I expect alot of their regional trains all over to operate the same. What the OP saw will be the new SOP.
I think it has nothing to do with Siemens but all to do with what the customer put in the specs.

Seats are typically manufactured by sub-contractors anyway, so you can basically spec any type of seats that you want, regardless of who builds the rest of the train.
 
I think it has nothing to do with Siemens but all to do with what the customer put in the specs.

Seats are typically manufactured by sub-contractors anyway, so you can basically spec any type of seats that you want, regardless of who builds the rest of the train.
Everything is getting cheaper and lighter-weight.  Seats that can be turned are expensive and heavy.  The newest Talgos on the Cascades do not have seats that turn (half the seats face backwards).  It also saves on labor, not needing to turn the seats.  I predict that, maybe except for long-distance coaches, fixed seats are the new normal.
 
Sorry, they put the trains through a wash every time they turn the train? Why is that necessary?
In theory, the train will be cleaner if you wash it more often (this theory assumes the wash is actually effective which, in my opinion, most are not). Most washes are located on the balloon/loop track or a central track in/out of the yard so might as well get it done when a move is already underway.
 
I've been in the DC Wash. I'm trying to remember where exactly it is. But I don't think it's on the wye.
it is indeed on the short leg of the wye. The High Speed train has its own wash on 52 track, which doesn't require a wye move.
 
That explains why I don't remember it because I was probably cleaning the inside of the car at the time. I remember seeing the Acela one though. And that isn't on the wye.
 
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