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
I think it depends on the railroad. NS uses train numbers with a few letters mixed in sometimes. The first digit often indicates the train's importance or type. CSX uses numbers with a letter prefix that indicate the train type (local, manifest, unit coal, etc.) and a suffix of two digits indicating the date it left its origin terminal. Conrail used symbols like yours, but usually kept them manageable with four letters (like Train ELDE [Elkhart, IN to Decatur, IL]) or used TV designations (like TV-8) for hotshot Trailvan trains of intermodal equipment or MAIL (like MAIL-9) for hotshot mail trains. I'm a fan of symbols because when you hear them on the scanner, you know what to expect.
