CONFUSION AS TO WHICH RWY A B737-500 IS ASSIGNED AT IAH RESULTS AFTER INTER-FACILITY XFER.

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DURING THE FLT TO IAH ON THE RIICE 1 ARR AT AN ALT OF 12000 FT (RIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIICE FIX); THE CREW WAS TOLD THE RWY FOR LNDG WOULD BE RWY 27 AND THAT THE SPD RESTR OF 250 KTS AT BRKMN COULD BE DELETED. NO FURTHER VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS WERE MADE UNTIL THE ACFT WAS NE OF IAH ARPT ON AN LNAV RIICE 1 DOWNWIND WHEN THE ACFT RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO EVENTUALLY DSND TO 6000 FT MSL. APPROX 18-20 MI NE OF THE ARPT THE ACFT WAS VECTORED TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS THEN 180 DEGS. THE NEXT XMISSION WAS FOR AN INTERCEPT HDG OF 240 DEGS TO JOIN THE FINAL COURSE; MAINTAIN 6000 FT MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED; CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE CONFUSION OCCURRED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE INTENDED CLRNC WAS FOR RWY 26L; HOWEVER; THE CREW WAS PREVIOUSLY INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE RWY 27 FOR LNDG AND THE CONFUSION BECAME APPARENT AFTER ROLLING OUT ONTO FINAL BEHIND A CRJ ACFT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE ACFT WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR CTL THAT A NEW VECTOR OF 300 DEGS WAS RECEIVED AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY THE APCH AND LAND ON RWY 26L.