Naming Trains

[taholmes160]

Hi Folks:
I have several trains that run multiple times a day -- for example I have the manifest freights -- M-ALAWAL that run AM and PM,  likewise, several mine turns  C-ALAOXB -- runs 3 times a day. 

 What is the modern practice for naming / numbering them?  C-ALAOXB-A, C-ALAOXB-B, C-ALAOXB-C? or something
 else?

Thanks

TIM

[Jbub]

I'm still trying to figure out how you get M-ALAWAL and C-ALAOXB. I'm guessing the M is manifest, the C is Coal and the 6 letter is the origin and destination?

[C855B]

Modern practice? Anything you want. Pretty much. Every RR seems to have their own scheme.

NS: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/NS_Train_Symbols
UP: http://uphs.org/articles/trainsymbols.pdf
BNSF: http://www.qstation.org/bnsf/bnsfsymbols.html
CSX: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/CSX_Train_Symbols
CN: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/CN_Train_Symbols

Back when I worked for SP, we had a system similar to UP's current scheme, two-character origin, destination and train type, with a two-digit suffix for day of month of scheduled departure. For example the BRLAT-22 would be Brooklyn (Yard, in Portland, OR) to Los Angeles TOFC departing on the 22nd. I said "scheduled departure" because if something or somebody messed things up and delayed a late-departing train past midnight, it was possible to have two of the same symbol departing on the same calendar day.

Multiple instances of the same symbol in a day frankly wasn't a consideration since practically speaking no train of a specified service would occur more than once a day. IIRC extra trains or additional sections would get unique symbols in this case, maybe a BRLAX or something like that.

Timetable-based systems (essentially, pre-1960s) elicit a whole 'nuther discussion.