How are Amtrak trains turned around?

Question

For example, if a train ran between Kansas City and Chicago, and it reached Chicago, how does the train get turned back towards Kansas City?

Answer 1

They are not usually turned at all.

Amtrak trains are ran as fleets.  That train that you get off of in Chicago isn't turned and sent back to KC.  It keeps going until it meets its counter part or departs Chi Town in another direction.  A different train is headed for KC.

The fleets run basically in several large circles in opposite directions.

The trains are not usually broken up until needing service or repair, and the trains are made up near these facilities.

But, when necessary to turn an entire train, a "balloon track" is employed.  As its name implies, it is simply a large loop.  The train enters one end and when it gets back it is running in the opposite direction.  Or, as pointed out above, a wye track is used.

The other option is to switch the train to reverse the train make-up.  The train is on one track, the other empty.  You take off the train one car at a time and send it down the empty rail until all cars have been switched.  The train is now lined up for the opposite direction.

There are times when there is a track obstruction that many mean a particular train must run back over the same track.  In these instances, the train isn't turned.  The power is simply run around the train and put on the other end.

Answer 2

In Europe the locomotive would either be detached and 'run around' the train to the other end with the coaches remaining in formation. Or another locomotive will be attached to the rear with the orignial locomotive being left. (The Swiss Zentralbahn does this at Meiringen - the train arrives behind one type of locomotive and departs in the opposite direction powered by another locomotive - the whole process takes about 3 minutes!)

Push Pull is also common. This is where the rear coach is fitted with a drivers cab and the train is run back with the locomotive pushing the train.

Finally there are Multiple Units - These don't have seperate locomotives, instead the trains powersources are spread along the train and there is a drivers cab at both ends.

Not sure on American practice... I suspect it would be similar

Answer 3

Hoghead is right on this one - in Boston, they use a balloon or loop track to turn the engines around - the cars just sit on a separate track and the engines tie on to the opposite end of the cut of cars.

In freight trains, you usually see two engines set up back-to-back, or "bookended," each engine facing the opposite direction.  This way, when the train gets to the end of the line, they just run the engines down a side track and hook straight on to the other end - no need to turn the engines around, they just run the train from the other engine, the one facing the right way.

Answer 4

On push pulls no need to turn the train.

Other instances you have a curve

There are no turntables in the US any more

Answer 5

Josh,

Today there are usually typically two ways of doing this.  First is a simple spin on a turntable, which actually doesn't occur very often these days and is a bit rare to be honest.  The more common way of turning locomotives is using a "wye."  It works on the same principle as the letter "Y" and is configured into a triangle shape.  It's rather difficult to explain but the image below will give you a good idea.  The wye allows for a locomotive (and any type of rail equipment) to come to and take a switch in one direction, move to and clear the next switch, and once clear of that switch back up over it (and the next subsequent switch) to then be pointing in the opposite direction it started.