The UP is mainly an east-west line and having tracks 1 and 2. Is UP track 1 considered the most northerly track and track 2 is southerly? Conversly the Illinois Central was mainly a north-south line, so would their track 1 be most easterly and track 2 the westerly one?
I was basing this numbering on same scheme as interstate where even are east west and odd are north-south.
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The customary practice is that North and East tracks are numbered "1" and the numbering goes up from there as tracks are added to the south or west.
Yard tracks are usually numbered sequentially from the main. Yard track 1 is the track closest to the main track. The yard track numbers get higher as you move away from the main track.
The Union Pacific near my Home has specifically painted large numbers on the mainline tracks at the crossings. One is one and two is two. Usually Northbound to St Louis is number two while south bound is number 1 but not always.
Sometimes they execute rolling meets side by side with both blowing for the same crossing going slightly different speeds. ( would love to catch a video just once...) other times they park a train for days and what have you on the MOW.
Yard Track I don't think to name them except number one being A/D next to the Main and the storage/body tracks numbered 2,3,4,5 in that order connected to the drill track.
It helps.
I suppose that track numbering could also vary.
On the Jersey Central mainline, east and north bound tracks were odd numbered, with Track 1 as the middle express track. West and south bound tracks even numbered, with Track 2 as the middle express track.
At Cranford, where the CNJ mainline was 6 tracks wide, track numbering from left to right (facing north) was 6,4,2 (West/South bound tracks) and 1,3,5 (East/North bound tracks).
This particular stretch between Elizabeth and Bound Brook was fairly high speed in its day, for Tracks 1 and 2. This CNJ 'broadway' handled Reading and B&O's top passenger runs as well as their freights and of course, CNJ's many trains.
This system appears to help identify the usual direction of traffic on numbered tracks. Also, that higher numbered tracks would generally handle slower and local traffic.
The customary practice is that North and East tracks are numbered "1" and the numbering goes up from there as tracks are added to the south or west.
Yard tracks are usually numbered sequentially from the main. Yard track 1 is the track closest to the main track. The yard track numbers get higher as you move away from the main track.
Of the railroads that went into Conrail, the PRR was the only one that I know of that numbered that way. Reading was even numbers East and North. Lehigh Valley the same. I would have to dig out my old Timetables to remember the rest.
The customary practice is that North and East tracks are numbered "1" and the numbering goes up from there as tracks are added to the south or west.
Yard tracks are usually numbered sequentially from the main. Yard track 1 is the track closest to the main track. The yard track numbers get higher as you move away from the main track.
Of the railroads that went into Conrail, the PRR was the only one that I know of that numbered that way. Reading was even numbers East and North. Lehigh Valley the same. I would have to dig out my old Timetables to remember the rest.
It's been a long time, but as I remember the PRR numbering through Ft. Wayne for West and North was #1, South and East #2. The classification tracks off of the hump on the North side (Piqua Yard) were odd numbered (3, 5, 7, .....through 17, I believe). The flat class/storage tracks on the South side of the mains were even numbered (4, 6, 8,..... to something, didn't get over there very often). I wouldn't bet on the mains numbers, but am sure of the yard track system.
in the early 1970's, Santa Fe abandoned the numbering of multiple
Main Tracks in favor of North Main Track and South Main Track. Santa Fe only operated eastward and westward by timetable, regardless of compass direction. In the few places where there were more than two Main Tracks, a special rule on the subdivision page of the timetable identified the designation of Main Tracks. After the BNSF merger occurred, the timetable designation of multiple Main Tracks went back to numbers.
the ex-PRR main line here follows the numbering convention Rich pointed out:
Track 1 is first from the eastbound side, followed sequentially by tracks 2, 3, 4. Track 4 being the outermost westbound.
Conversly the Illinois Central was mainly a north-south line, so would their track 1 be most easterly and track 2 the westerly one?
Presently, the for IC(now CN) mains in Chicago, Main 1 is the farthest west.
CN_Hogger
CN_Hogger
Dang!! Just when I thought I had this all figured out! 
Now, some mud. Houston METRO LRT line has Track One NB, being on the east.
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