Street Running in the USA or Canada

[Wendell1976]

Here's a 1994 picture of a Union Pacific Railroad train in Oakland, California. The train is running down 3rd Street.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/557635/

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[Wendell1976]

Here's a picture of the Albany & Eastern Railroad in Lebanon, Oregon. The railroad is making a light engine move down West Olive Street. Lebanon is about 30 miles(48 kilometers) south of Salem and about 70 miles(112 kilometers) south of Portland.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/598538/

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[autocoach]

On 13/09/2021 at 11:09, Wendell1976 said:

Here's a 1994 picture of a Union Pacific Railroad train in Oakland, California. The train is running down 3rd Street.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/557635/

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

The UP (ex SP) line along the waterfront streets in Oakland is one of the most easily accessible sections of street rail running. Not only are there multiple UP freight trains but the Amtrak Coast Starlight and San Francisco Zephyr along with Amtrak California San Joaquin service and up to 10 Capitol Corridor 4-5 car (coach to UK readers) push pull passenger services  between Oakland/San Jose and Sacramento/Roseville each way daily. Surprisingly few vehicle and pedestrian accidents although they do happen.

 

This is a 2013 video of one of the Capitol Corridor services. The only difference in 8 years is they now use the newer Siemens locomotives.

 

This is a Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotive built in California at the Siemens Mobility factory near Sacramento. Now appearing throughout the US https://www.google.com/search?q=siemens+charger+amtrak&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS946US946&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuutf-yoHzAhV6l2oFHUCqD4EQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=722

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by autocoach
better info

[Wendell1976]

On 15/09/2021 at 11:10, autocoach said:

The UP (ex SP) line along the waterfront streets in Oakland is one of the most easily accessible sections of street rail running. Not only are there multiple UP freight trains but the Amtrak Coast Starlight and San Francisco Zephyr along with Amtrak California San Joaquin service and up to 10 Capitol Corridor 4-5 car (coach to UK readers) push pull passenger services  between Oakland/San Jose and Sacramento/Roseville each way daily. Surprisingly few vehicle and pedestrian accidents although they do happen.

 

This is a 2013 video of one of the Capitol Corridor services. The only difference in 8 years is they now use the newer Siemens locomotives.

 

This is a Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotive built in California at the Siemens Mobility factory near Sacramento. Now appearing throughout the US https://www.google.com/search?q=siemens+charger+amtrak&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS946US946&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuutf-yoHzAhV6l2oFHUCqD4EQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=722

 

 

The former Southern Pacific mainline in Oakland runs through Jack London Square along The Embarcadero. The street running trackage along 3rd Street in the above picture is no longer in use today(former Western Pacific Railroad trackage).

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[melmerby]

For our North American friends

N.B.

Although individual passenger vehicles are referred to as coaches in the UK, fixed format multiple unit trains are called by the number of cars!

e.g 4 car EMU (Electric multiple unit)

Freight vehicles are always wagons.

Edited September 22, 2021 by melmerby

[melmerby]

14 hours ago, Wendell1976 said:

 

The former Southern Pacific mainline in Oakland runs through Jack London Square along The Embarcadero. The street running trackage along 3rd Street in the above picture is no longer in use today(former Western Pacific Railroad trackage).

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

A more recent image (Junction of 3rd & Alice)

https://goo.gl/maps/hEuHWB7PFzwrHKYb7

 

The building at 255 3rd St. is very obvious, as is the water tower.

Edited September 22, 2021 by melmerby

[PenrithBeacon]

On 15/09/2021 at 19:10, autocoach said:

The UP (ex SP) line along the waterfront streets in Oakland is one of the most easily accessible sections of street rail running. Not only are there multiple UP freight trains but the Amtrak Coast Starlight and San Francisco Zephyr along with Amtrak California San Joaquin service and up to 10 Capitol Corridor 4-5 car (coach to UK readers) push pull passenger services  between Oakland/San Jose and Sacramento/Roseville each way daily. Surprisingly few vehicle and pedestrian accidents although they do happen.

 

This is a 2013 video of one of the Capitol Corridor services. The only difference in 8 years is they now use the newer Siemens locomotives.

...

 

 

Is that left hand running? It seems to be.

[melmerby]

16 minutes ago, PenrithBeacon said:

Is that left hand running? It seems to be.

The platform faces are only on the northern track so the Amtrak service has to use it.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/9iymJUBUVMovVQCRA

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by melmerby

[mdvle]

3 hours ago, PenrithBeacon said:

Is that left hand running? It seems to be.

 

When it comes to passenger stuff it is reasonably common to have the track signaled for bi-directional use - have platforms on one side only and have the passenger trains use that one track regardless of direction.  This is more convenient in many cases given either historical reasons or given low numbers of passenger operations - or in some cases gives extra flexibility in inherently uneven traffic flows like commuter operations where you can run extra trains in one direction depending on the time of day and have some be expresses - or even try to keep the stopping passenger services separated from the freight services.

 

Some local examples - in the Toronto area GO Transit operates their Milton Line - strictly peak service so X trains into Toronto in the morning and X trains back to Milton in the evening.  Service operates on CP and is dual track and signaled for train operation in either direction on both tracks - but most of the stations on the line only have platforms on the north track so the GO trains use the north track for both inbound and outbound services and CP operates freights both between the GO trains and on the 2nd track in either direction.

 

Or on the GO Kitchener line through Brampton - most of CN's tracks through Brampton are tripled but there is still a section of only dual track through downtown Brampton.  Brampton has all day GO service but CN will keep the GO Trains on the south track during non-peaks for both directions leaving the other track clear for their freight operations during the day - though they also run freight on the south track between GO Trains - and the freights operate in both directions on both tracks depending on what is best at any given time.

 

Similar story on other GO lines - whether owned by CN or by Metroiinx - where the tracks are signaled for use in both directions for operationally flexibility.

 

So we often don't have the dedicated directional running that is the norm in the UK/Europe.

Edited September 22, 2021 by mdvle

[melmerby]

12 minutes ago, mdvle said:

 

 

 

So we often don't have the dedicated directional running that is the norm in the UK/Europe.

From what I've seen from Google street views and webcams, most multiple US tracks are fully bi-directional signalled and as you say platforms are often on one side only.

e.g. on Virtual Railfan: La Plata, Ft Madison (new platform at Santa Fe building), Flagstaff AZ, Spartanburg SC, Elkhart IN, Tucson AZ, Barstow CA (which has a single platform line off the main running lines)

Ashland VA has recently gained a second platform, the service there is fairly frequent in Amtrak terms!

 

Some countries in Europe also have bi-directional signalled track with one side platforms, I know Switzerland has some.

 

There are also several bi-directionally signalled routes in the UK, although normal running usually stays on the left track.

They used to be some single side platforms as well but I'm not sure whether any still exist, the infrastructure has had a lot of investment in the last 10 or more years.

[Ramblin Rich]

Off topic for street running but the strangest single side platform I know is Penryn on the Falmouth branch. When it was reinstated as a passing place, it was decided to use one end of the platform for Falmouth bound trains, with Truro bound trains using the further end. Truro trains then cross into a loop alongside the disused former up platform. This was done to avoid the need for passengers to cross the lines. This image shows the arrangement well

https://www.google.com/search?q=penryn+falmouth+station&client=firefox-b-m&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5jZzBnZPzAhWSlxQKHUlnBsgQ_AUIBygC&biw=360&bih=597#imgrc=UEMYDAvowRaDsM

Bidirectional running can be put in place on the up line between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren in cases when the waves are making the down line unusable!

[pH]

West Coast Express trains use the south track on the CP line from Mission into Vancouver. The service is into Vancouver in the morning and out in the evening. Both tracks are bi-directional and CP use only the north track during those times. Here’s a view of Coquitlam Central station, showing the single platform to the south of the tracks:

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/1044-1042+Mariner+Way,+Coquitlam,+BC/@49.2748016,-122.8016812,3a,75y,348.55h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sC2S80yNjt9KRRr7WVwiwiw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x548678cbb4c83009:0x6d0b730b045e3b89

 

(Turn the view through 90 degrees clockwise.)

Edited September 22, 2021 by pH

[melmerby]

30 minutes ago, Ramblin Rich said:

Bidirectional running can be put in place on the up line between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren in cases when the waves are making the down line unusable!

Or if you need an express to pass a local train, which happens sometimes.

Rather than delay the local at DW it is sent forward and the following express crossed to the up line as far as Teignmouth.

 

There was a video of such an event on you tube taken at one of the Dawlish cams.

[Ramblin Rich]

17 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Or if you need an express to pass a local train, which happens sometimes.

Rather than delay the local at DW it is sent forward and the following express crossed to the up line as far as Teignmouth.

 

There was a video of such an event on you tube taken at one of the Dawlish cams.

I saw that done on one of the Dawlish airshow days too

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Ramblin Rich said:

Off topic for street running but the strangest single side platform I know is Penryn on the Falmouth branch. When it was reinstated as a passing place, it was decided to use one end of the platform for Falmouth bound trains, with Truro bound trains using the further end. Truro trains then cross into a loop alongside the disused former up platform. This was done to avoid the need for passengers to cross the lines. This image shows the arrangement well

https://www.google.com/search?q=penryn+falmouth+station&client=firefox-b-m&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5jZzBnZPzAhWSlxQKHUlnBsgQ_AUIBygC&biw=360&bih=597#imgrc=UEMYDAvowRaDsM

Bidirectional running can be put in place on the up line between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren in cases when the waves are making the down line unusable!

Not forgetting Cambridge.

[melmerby]

One of the problems with single side platforms on dual track lines in the US is when, for some reason, the Amtrak service cannot use tha track with the platform.

I have seen this twice on Virtual Railfan cameras, once at Flagstaff and once at La Plata where people had to cross the tracks to get to the train.

There was also an occasion a Tucson where the Soutbound Amtrak service was stationary on the non platform track, although this may have been for a crew change.

[melmerby]

14 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Not forgetting Cambridge.

What about Cambridge?

It looks like a normal medium sized station to me.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

What about Cambridge?

It looks like a normal medium sized station to me.

It is now but for many years it had a very long single platform used by both up and down trains.

[dave1905]

Up through the 1960's, directional running (Rule 251 in most rule books) was the norm for 2 main track railroads.  In most pre 1950's US rule books "double track" is defined as track operated directionally by rule 251, in which each track is signaled in one direction only.  In the 1960's railroads began converting "double track" to "2 main track" CTC which is signaled in both directions on both tracks.

[Wendell1976]

This picture is proof that we need to be aware of our surroundings. Most of the time, freight trains do not stop at stop signs here in the United States. This is a picture of a Union Pacific Railroad train in Gretna, Louisiana. The train is running down 5th Street. Gretna is a suburb of New Orleans.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/92508/

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[melmerby]

Hi Wendell

I would guess the foreshortening of a long lens makes the loco seem almost on top of the car, when in reality it is far enough away for the driver to do a quick getaway.

 

BTW it's mislabelled, it's actually 4th St.

https://goo.gl/maps/bMP1EWrMHj86SSeQA

[Night Train]

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by Night Train

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, Night Train said:

Can't see the pic. password protected.

[pH]

I presume there’s enough clearance to what looks like a concrete block to the right of the track.
 

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/790154/

Edited December 17, 2021 by pH

[pH]

Complete with a man with a red flag walking in front:

 

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/791632/