Middle Track Operation on the N&W

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The middle track from Walton to Pelton was, by timetable direction, for the 
exclusive use of eastward trains.  Arthur, Elliston and Christiansburg were 
governed by tower operators at the direction of the Dispatcher.  The only 
other one often used for that purpose was Hull, which was governed by the 
operator at Iaeger.  Farm was governed by its own operator, later by Tug 
Tower.  The only one west of Williamson that I know of that would have been 
so used were the ones at Stonecoal, operated by Kermit, and Prichard, later 
under the control of KX tower at Kenova.  By the time I got to the Scioto 
Division, the sidings on the Columbus District were history.

EdKing

-----Original Message----- 
From: NW Mailing List
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 5:16 PM
To: N&W Mailing List
Subject: Middle Track Operation on the N&W

I am looking for information on exactly how the N&W operated its Middle 
Tracks.


DEFINITION: A middle track was a track, located between two signaled main 
tracks, provided so that interior slow trains (freights) could get off the 
main track when they "fell back on the time of" a following superior train 
(e.g. a First Class train.)

EXAMPLE of the Use of a Middle Track: Extra 2042 West, a tonnage train, 
leaves Elliston on the Westbound Main Line not far ahead of No. 25's time. 
Making a slow run up Christiansburg Mountain, the crew of Extra 2042 West 
pulls into the Arthur Middle Track and lets No. 25 proceed around them 
without delay. The crew of the Extra West does not have to be instructed by 
message or Train Order to do this -- the rule told them what to do. Rule 86: 
"Unless otherwise provided, an inferior train must clear the time of a 
superior train in the same direction not less than five (5) minutes; but 
must be in the clear at the time a first class train, in the same direction, 
is due to leave the next station in the rear where time is shown." (Over the 
years, there were all kinds of permutations on this rule, allowing Extra 
trains to run ahead of Third and Fourth Class trains, and the like, without 
clearing. But those permutations are not germane for the question I'm 
raising.)

QUESTION: My question is this... What provision did the N&W make to prevent 
opposing trains from entering the same middle track at the same time, and 
coming to a nose-to-nose Mexican Standoff?

ONE OBVIOUS SOLUTION is to provide "middle crossovers" (escape crossovers) 
somewhere along the middle track, and designate the east portion of the 
middle track for the use of westbound trains, and the west portion of the 
middle track for the use of eastward trains. This is what the N&W did on 
long middle tracks which had the capacity for holding two trains.

ANOTHER SOLUTION would be to designate certain middle tracks as for the use 
of only eastbound (or only westbound) trains, "unless otherwise provided," 
which meant unless otherwise instructed by the Train Dispatcher.

A THIRD SOLUTION, and the one I think the N&W used, was to provide some form 
of signal protection against opposing trains pulling into a middle track 
simultaneously. So that, if an eastbound had opened the switch to enter a 
middle track, the switch at the far end would be electrically locked and 
could not be used by a westbound for pulling into the same middle track. IT 
IS THIS THIRD SOLUTION that I am curious about... IS THIS WHAT THE N&W DID? 
HOW DID THE ARRANGEMENT WORK?

Middle tracks generally went the way of the DoDo Bird with the advent of 
CTC, the reduction in passenger trains, and the era of "Stuart Saunders 
reductions."

So, to REITERATE THE QUESTION, does anyone know how the N&W operated middle 
tracks NOT equipped with middle crossovers?

Sorry for the longwinded question, but it asks about a situation which needs 
a rather full explanation.

-- abram burnett
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