HDG TRACK DEV IN FLC NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

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HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED DIRECT COALDALE; NV; THEN FLT PLANNED RTE AT FL350. DIRECT COURSE WAS ABOUT 270 DEGS MAGNETIC. ZOB CTLR GAVE US A R TURN TO 360 DEGS BECAUSE HE COULD NOT REACH ZAU BY PHONE TO EFFECT A HDOF. WE STARTED THE TURN; THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO OUR COURSE TO COALDALE; AS WE HAD MARGINAL FUEL RESERVES AND SEVERAL AREAS OF TSTMS IN THE MIDWEST AND OVER COLORADO/WYOMING THAT MIGHT REQUIRE DEVS. FREQ SWITCH TO ZAU WAS MADE AT XA34Z (3 MINS LATER) AND FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO SFO. MINIMAL DEV AROUND TSTMS IN COLORADO/WYOMING AREA WAS REQUIRED AND WE LANDED WITH MORE FUEL THAN FLT PLANNED. ZAU CTLR (AND LATER; WATCH SUPVR) ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WHEN STORY WAS RELATED; ZAU CTLR STATED THAT ZOB CTLR HAD 'PANICKED' AND GIVEN US THE 90 DEG TURN. WX AT ALT WAS CLR; VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. OPERATING TCASII INSTALLED ON ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 244345: THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND WE TURNED BACK ON COURSE (DIRECT COALDALE). AFTER COMPLETING OUR TURN BACK ON COURSE; ZOB HANDED US OFF TO ZAU AND THE EMER WAS TERMINATED. THE PROB CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE HDOF BTWN CTLRS WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. WX WAS ALSO A FACTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 244221: IT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY TO DECLARE AN EMER TO KEEP A PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE PROB FROM DEVELOPING INTO AN ACTUAL FUEL SHORTAGE.