Using Portals Marked "To" and "From"

I have finally learned how to use portals, and now that I know how they work, I am very pleased with the results. However, I have two general questions.

1. When portals are marked "to" or "from" is that just a name? Does it really matter if trains arrive from a portal marked "to"?
As an example, in the Mojave subdivision, there is an SP Portal to Fresno and an SP Portal From Fresno. Can I make trains arrive and depart from both? In my experimentation, this seems to work.

Using the above example, suppose the SP Portal to Fresno is set to accept any train, and then send it back out in 60 minutes. Suppose, SP Portal from Fresno is set to accept any train, then send it back out in 30 minutes. If a train arrived at SP Portal to Fresno, would it come back out of SP Portal From Fresno in 30 minutes, or would it come back out of SP Portal To Fresno in 60 minutes?

What I am really getting at is, are the names "to" and "from" only names, and they are really two independent portals? And will I cause problems if I use them in this manner?

2. I am wondering if too many trains in portals will slow down the computer. Here is a hypothetical example: Suppose I have five consists running on the railroad. I have four portals, each sending out a train every hour. About five trains per hour also leave through portals, so the number of consists actually visisble remains at about five. However, each portal has 50 consists listed as available to be sent out, and randomly chooses between them, as to which one to send each time. Does the number of consists listed as available in the portals cause the program to slow down?

Thank you for all of your help. I never would have been able to figure all of this out without all of your generous assistance. I hope one day to be able to help others in return.

Dean
 
A portal is a portal. You may give it any name you wish. Any portal can be set up to produce or consume trains or even both. The number of consists a portal has does not effect the game speed as they are only on "paper" so to speak. They are not real trains. It is the number of trains actually running on your route which may or may not effect game speed.
 
The To and From portal have been given those name for a reason in that route. I use Exit, Return and Produce. If you use the same portal for consume and produce you may get a conflict with consists as only one train can use it at a time. The portal may start to produce a train at the same time as you send one in and a bottleneck can occur. A train entering a portal will return as per the time set on the consume portal not the produce portal.
 
Stagecoach makes an excellent observation. There could be trouble if a train is about to leave a portal, when a new one is arriving. I will keep them one-way for now.

Thank you for your explanations.
 
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