What direction is the total thrust in a gas turbine?

Well, that depends, either the turbine is under start-up/shutdown or normal running condition. Read on to find
how.
QUICK ANSWER:
Start-up/Shutdown: Towards Forward direction.
Normal running: Towards aft direction.
Q#1. What is the direction of thrust in individual rotary machines(in compressor and turbine mounted
individually, on different shafts)? and what if they're mounted on a single shaft?
Q#2. What does "active" and "non-active" side of a thrust bearing mean?
A#1: The direction of thrust in a rotary machinery is always from HP(high pressure) side to LP(low pressure)
side.
For Compressor the pressure of inlet gases is lower than that of outlet gases, thus the inlet side becomes LP
and discharge side becomes HP. Therefore, thrust will act towards inlet(LP). Thus it will require a thrust
bearing on inlet side.
For Turbine, the pressure of inlet gases is higher than that of outlet gases, thus the inlet side becomes HP and
exhaust side becomes LP. Thus, thrust will act towards the exhaust side. Thus it will require a thrust bearing on
outlet side.
From this, we can deduce that, the thrust in a compressor and turbine acts in opposite direction to each other.
Now, if we mount this compressor and turbine on single shaft (as is the case in GE-design heavy duty gas
turbines), the resultant thrust of the arrangement will be ALGEBRAIC sum of the individual thrusts of
compressor and turbine. As this two thrust are acting in opposite direction they'll tend to cancel each other.
Now, We'll look at three different operating conditions of the turbine.
1. Start-up: During start-up the starting means (diesel engine or steam turbine or electric starting motor) will
run the turbine up to a minimum firing speed. Up to this speed, air is continuously flowing in the compressor
and getting compressed, thus creating LP and HP side on inlet and outlet of the compressor respectively. No
fuel is admitted to the combustion chambers during this, thus no flue gases flow to the turbine. This means that
the air compressed by the compressor is passing to the exhaust through the turbine. As there is no flue gases
passing through the turbine, HP and LP sides are not created, and hence no thrust in the turbine. Therefore the
resultant thrust will be towards the FORWARD (inlet) end during start-up.
(Note: Need a thrust bearing in the forward side)
2. Normal running: During normal running, the compressor is compressing air, fuel is admitted in the
combustion chamber and flue gases are passing through the turbine. As flue gases are passing through the
turbine, the HP and LP sides are created, and hence thrust the in turbine. As the resultant thrust is algebraic
sum of the two thrusts, they'll tend to balance each other. As the turbine thrust is more than compressor thrust
the resultant thrust will be towards the AFT (outlet)side in normal running condition.
(Note:Need a thrust bearing in aft side).
3. Shutdown: During shutdown, the fuel flow is ramped down (decreased) and finally cut-off at a particular
speed. Thus the thrust will be towards FORWARD end (as there is no turbine thrust).
As the compressor and turbine thrust balance each other, the resultant thrust can be "taken" by relatively small
thrust bearings. Instead of providing two thrust bearings on forward and aft end, thrust bearing assembly is
provided on the forward end. This assembly consist of a thrust collar and two thrust bearings mounted on
either side of it.
A#2. Active side: the side of thrust bearing will "take" the thrust during normal condition.
Non-active side: this side will "take" the load in case of "thrust reversal" (may be there is no such term) i.e.
when the thrust reverses its direction as in start-up/shutdown.