Railroad Radio

P

ptrainman

Future NS Conductor
Does any one have a scanner for listening to the trains? If so where are you from and what railroad do you listen to?
 
I've looked into it a couple times, try googling it, there are ALOT of sites out there that will tell you what radio to buy, rules and regulations on using it, and even what railroads use what channels in what areas....... it is very extensive.....

good day:wave:
 
RR Radio

There is a live scanner feed that you can listen in to several RR radio feeds. http://www.railroadradio.net/
If you are more than 2-5 miles away from a RR transmitter or a RR walky talky, you probably won't hear much on a home or portable scanner because of distance, and what you do hear will be of poor quality as most RR have really second rate radios, garbled and distorted. If you are close by to some RR personel transmitting, or tourist line in operation, the signal will be more clear. Alot of RR's are using cell phones to transmit. Not too much goes on on the airwaves today, as CTC and onboard computers on locomotives handle much of the communications.

The PRR and Reading RR used to have signaltowers or switchcabins with morse code equipment, located within line of sight from one tower to the next. Now days communications are kept to a minimum as computer technology allows operators to throw turnouts in NY State, from Jacksonville FL via satelite. And fibre optics communications systems relay much information to towers and yard terminals.

But you still will hear quite alot of RR chatter on the airwaves.

Conrail had some of the most inept RR radios...most equipment you could barely hear what was being transmitted. A powerful radio can give you a burn if you are leaning against a MOW truck or if the antenna is too close to you. One CR guy found that keying the mike handset would set off a Camden NJ homeowners car burglar alarm everytime we passed by...I warned him that some day the guy is going to put 2 and 2 together and see a CR MOW truck speeding away from the scene everytime the cars burglar alarm gets set off.
 
Last edited:
Another barrage of several rainy days across Pennsylvania

I have been in a lull...dogwatching (petsitting) this weekend. Listening to RailroadRadio.net West Slope & Pittsburgh scanner feeds, and getting RR traffic updates from Yahoo Groups: "Altoona/Johnstown. Amtrak is heading west out of Johnstown, and a derailment of 23 autoracks (all upright) at Radebaugh have both tracks of the line closed...this should be interesting.:eek: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10116/1053497-100.stm
Horseshoe Curve webcam: http://64.84.107.59/view/view.shtml?videos=&id=14356
 
Last edited:
I have Amtrak/NJ Transit (NEC/NJCL) programmed into my ICOM IC-91AD (Ham Radio Op). Mostly just to listen for track assignments at NY Penn for my commute home, or for any issues that would affect my commute (Conductors bouncing stowaways, switch problems, downed cat, Portal Bridge getting stuck open, or a breakdown in one of the Hudson tunnels. A bunch of Ham's in the radio club I belong to are also into railroading. I live about 1/4mi from the NEC so I get to hear lots of traffic (Amtrak, CSX,NS,Susquehanna, NJ Transit, and PATH).
 
I have tried the Horseshoe Curve Webcam ... which requires Axis Media Control ... and Java.

I fear the Wabcam is down or has been discontinued ?

Can anybody else access the webcam ?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
SOU Radio Boxcar
Replies
1
Views
115
AV3
A
C
I'm looking for an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe caboose
Replies
1
Views
154
HPL
H
J
Buildings be replaced with railroad crossings?
Replies
17
Views
680
janathan
J
C
In Regards To The Pennsylvania Railroad T1
Replies
0
Views
87
ChugLifeBoy
C
J
Some American railroads going to 100% biofuel.
2 3
Replies
42
Views
3K
ricomon35
R
Back
Top