Trains running on the left?

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gajamukhu

Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
2
This video of Amtrak and MARC trains at Odenton:



shows several trains on the outer tracks to be running on the left, including the Acela that makes an unscheduled stop around 7:30. This does not appear to be a mirror image illusion as evident from athe writing on the trains (which is not mirror-reversed).

I was wondering if this is a regular occurrence on the NEC, or was this a rare exception? Forgive me if this has been discussed before.

Ganesh
 
That's my station!

This section of the NEC ran left handed in the evenings when 1 track (the easternmost track) was out of service between Odenton and Baltimore for the tie replacement project.

This allowed the packed MARC trains to operate morning and afternoon from the full platforms, as opposed to having to put bridges in place over the out of service track.

I've got a bunch of pictures of it running "backwards" as well.
 
The NEC is CTC and is signaled for running in both directions. There is no rule-based "current of traffic" although dispatchers can and will establish currents for fluidity and to get trains to the correct platforms.
 
My weekend NER train to WDB runs on the "left" the majority of the time.
 
Guest said:
My weekend NER train to WDB runs on the "left" the majority of the time.
Click to expand...
I want to say that the ex-RF&P (the line from Richmond to Alexandria) is predominantly run "left-handed" with exceptions made as necessary to put trains on the platform. I can't remember where I read that though so it might not be correct.
 
Is running on the left all that unusual? On the CZ three-quarters of the time I end up sitting on the right... and don't know how many times have had a BNSF freight zip on by about two feet away. My guess was that they ran on whatever track was available and that was determined by the dispatcher in the HDC in OMA - trying to get an Amtrak train routed around all the full-length freights, is more of an art than a science, and one was assigned whatever track was available. No?
 
Outside of the NEC, the issue is quite different. Where I live, it appears to be double tracked, but it is really just a siding that is several miles long. Sometimes the main track runs on the left, sometimes it runs on the right. The train with priority (usually applies to Amtrak) takes the straight track rather than the divergent track into a siding so it can maintain speed. So, outside the NEC you will pass freights on both the left and right.

Even on BNSF's Transcon West of Albuquerque, you'll pass on the left or right depending where the freights are stacked.
 
VentureForth said:
Outside of the NEC, the issue is quite different. Where I live, it appears to be double tracked, but it is really just a siding that is several miles long. Sometimes the main track runs on the left, sometimes it runs on the right. The train with priority (usually applies to Amtrak) takes the straight track rather than the divergent track into a siding so it can maintain speed. So, outside the NEC you will pass freights on both the left and right.

Even on BNSF's Transcon West of Albuquerque, you'll pass on the left or right depending where the freights are stacked.
Click to expand...
At least my comment/question, had to do with two active/in motion trains passing. I can easily understand passing a stationary train on a siding and it being on either side: but what was so "shocking" was to be looking out the window (do a lot of that on the CZ) and to have a freight suddenly appear, seemingly two feet away and with a differential velocity of 120 plus mph.... one second one is watching the Green River, and the next second one can feel the CZ being buffeted by the trapped air between the two, and the other train zipping by at almost 300 feet per second... and then as quickly as it appeared, it disappears and the Green River is back. A couple times I was taking movies for my wife and had this happen, and now when she watches them she is always surprised by just how fast the lead orange/red engine appears out of the left side of the screen.
 
The only difference on the NEC is that the closing speed for crossing may be as high as 250mph to 300mph, and the air shock wave carries quite a punch.

Speaking of which side trains operate on, at least through NJ almost all of the NEC is being converted to NORAC Rule 261 (bi-directional signaled) on all tracks. However, notwithstanding that the general operating patterns places trains operating generally on the right hand side, even though they could operate in any direction on any track.

For example at Trenton it is not that unusual to see a train on the left hand side platform, even Amtrak trains, in a congested situation. Less frequent but it does happen also at Metropark, specially for Acelas when the platform track on the correct side is out of service for some reason.
 
jis said:
The only difference on the NEC is that the closing speed for crossing may be as high as 250mph to 300mph, and the air shock wave carries quite a punch.
Click to expand...
Yep. As I was leaning on the window in the Cardinal watching for the SM (or was it the SS) to pass us so I could wave to Penny, Dave, Jim & Dick, my head bumped on the window. Ouch guys. :lol:
 
The Chicago & Northwestern Commuter Trains have traditionally run on the left and from what I understand the English had nothing to do with it. I was told when the stations were first built, they were put on the left (Ashcat's) side of inbound trains and this is when there was mostly single track. When additional tracks were laid, rather than "correct" operations they stayed as they were so inbound riders could go right from the station to the train without having to cross over.
 
I have always seen the engineer "driving" on the right side of the cab. Yea, that's "British style", but such IMHO is just coincidence.
 
MattW said:
Actually, I think British Engineers drive from the left side of the train.
Click to expand...
I guess that is because the signals are on the left hand side in Britain, and similarly in the US they sit on the right because the signals normally are on the right hand side of the train. I could be wrong of course, but this is my guess.
 
JIS, you are right. In steam days a left side signal would be invisible to the engineer because the boiler would be in the way. Don't know what Chicago and Northwestern did on their line west out of Chicago. It was left hand running.
 
Cool video!

I've been on a couple of late night south bound NERs that stopped on the "north bound" platform at BWI. Similarly, there was one instance when I took the crazy early (0338) NER from BWI to NYP and it came in on the "south bound" platform. That was a particularly interesting event since all of us Early Birds were expecting the train to arrive on the "north bound" track as is customary. Thankfully, the conductor held the train as we all dashed up the stairs, across the walkway and down the stairs to board the train.
 
George Harris said:
JIS, you are right. In steam days a left side signal would be invisible to the engineer because the boiler would be in the way. Don't know what Chicago and Northwestern did on their line west out of Chicago. It was left hand running.
Click to expand...
In this Case wouldnt the Fireman help Read the Signals since they Backed Up the Engineer just like Co-Pilots do the Captain on Airliners??
 
In places like India this still remains relevant because they run so many diesels long hood forward in regular service. It is only recently that they have started manufacturing diesels with cabs at both ends. It i very unusual in India for anyone to ever turn an engine at the end of its run.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top