Directions on the Tug Fork Branch

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Harry,
     As it was stated before, assignment of direction was for 
operational purposes, so, I can't comment on why the Clinchfield did it 
that way.  I think that at one time there was a uniform rule book that 
the railroads used as a guide and that it went with the Even-N/E, 
Odd-S/W direction, but as the model railroaders say..."It's your 
railroad, do what you want".
     It seems that after the merger into NS, as management and employees 
have diluted, train numbers started diluting more and more. Now it is 
not unusual to find train numbers traveling in the historically wrong 
direction. It has also been historically correct that when a new rule 
book is brought out, that timetables revert their numbering to "1". 
Right before I left, that didn't even happen. Hence, the need of 
historical societies such as ours.

Jimmy Lisle

> But on the Clinchfield, the odd numbered trains were northbound and
> the even numbered trains were southbound.  Clinchfield is now CSX
> and through an agreement, NS trains operate St. Paul to a point near
> Kingsport on former Clinchfield track.  Don't know if CSX has amended
> the train numbering system.               Harry Bundy

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