POTENTIAL CONFLICT. HDG TRACK DEV.

Narrative

FLT WAS SCHEDULED FROM LAS-DFW. THE DEP ATIS INDICATED USING RWY 1R FOR DEP. WHEN THE FO GOT THE ATC CLRNC RWY 19 WAS INDICATED; THEN CHANGED BACK TO 01 PRIOR TO TAXI. AFTER TKOF WE FLEW THE MEAD 8 DEP; AS PUBLISHED. WHILE ON THE PUBLISHED 070 HDG; DEP CTL SAID; 'CLB UNRESTR TO 17000; AND START YOUR TURN'. WE UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN TO START THE TURN TOWARD BLD VOR; WHICH WE DID. THEN WE GOT A TCASII ALERT AND VISUALLY SAW AN AIRPLANE INBOUND FROM BLD TURNING WESTWARD AWAY FROM US. AT ABOUT THAT SAME TIME; DEP CTL ASKED IF WE WERE HDG TOWARD BLD. I (CAPT); REPLIED THAT WE WERE; IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PUBLISHED SID. THEY REPLIED THAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN TO FLY 060 AND EXPECT VECTORS. NEITHER THE FO OR I WERE AWARE OF ANY SUCH CLRNC. DEP CTL REPEATED THAT ADMONITION; AND I ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO DO THAT; BUT HE SAID TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO BLD. WHICH WE DID. A LITTLE LATER I HEARD DEP CTLR TELL ANOTHER ACFT (I THINK IT WAS THE INBOUND AIRPLANE); 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT; IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT; IT WAS THE TWR'S FAULT.' THEY NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO US. THAT IS WHY I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT. I THINK WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WAS; THAT THE TWR WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE US THE 'FLY 060 AND EXPECT VECTORS' CLRNC; BUT DURING THE CONFUSION OVER THE RWY CHANGE TO 19 AND BACK TO 1R; SOMEHOW; THAT CLRNC 'FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS'; AND WE NEVER GOT IT. WHEN I SAW THE INBOUND ACFT ON THE TCASII; IT WAS 1500 FT ABOVE US AND 5 MI AWAY. WHEN I SAW IT VISUALLY; IT WAS IN A TURN HDG AWAY FROM US. THERE WAS NEVER ANY DANGER OF A MIDAIR. BUT I FEEL THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE SYS; SOMETHING WENT WRONG; AND THEREFORE I SUBMIT THIS RPT SO THAT MY FEELINGS CAN GO ON THE RECORD.