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Railfanning & Radio Monitoring. How to begin monitoring and spotting trains using radio. A. Straatveit K3 NH T. Getting Started. The local railroads Railmaps Finding railfan spots Finding railfans Tuning in Listening Freight Timetables & Schedules Passenger Railroads Waiting...
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Railfanning & Radio Monitoring How to begin monitoring and spotting trains using radio A. Straatveit K3NHT
Getting Started • The local railroads • Railmaps • Finding railfan spots • Finding railfans • Tuning in • Listening • Freight Timetables & Schedules • Passenger Railroads • Waiting... • What can be heard? • Data Channels • EOT Device • ATCS Monitor • Online Resources • Questions?
The Local Railroads Google & Bing Maps
Local Examples: National Railroad Historical Society Riverdale Park Railfans Baltimore Streetcar Musuem Walkersville Southern Railroad Pope's Creek Railfan Group RF&P Historical Society Finding Railfans • Where: • Museums • Railfan Groups • Rail Modelers • Train Shows • Historical Societies • Volunteer Railroads • By The Tracks
Tuning In (Voice) • Current AAR Channels • 12.5/6.25 kHz Spacing • Local Railroads • CSX • Norfolk Southern (NS) • Amtrak • MARC • VRE • DC Metro
Listening: Freight Defect Detector Channels Box 14: 160.320 08: 160.230
Listening: Passenger Railroads • Metrorail • Constant Communications • Amtrak, MARC, VRE • Use road channels of track owners • RadioReference.com • Database search
What can be heard? • Engineers & Crew • Signal Calls • Dispatchers • Train Numbers • Defect Detectors
Data Channels • EOT (End Of Train) Device • No more caboose • Little red box • ATCS (Signaling) Monitor
EOT (End Of Train) Device • What is the EOT? • What do you hear? • How Can I use EOT Data? • Frequencies: • 457.9375 MHz (Tail) • 452.9375 MHz (Head)
800 MHz & 900 MHz Channel – 2 CSX MCP – 896.9375 BCP - 935.9375 Channel – 5 Norfolk Southern MCP – 897.9375 BCP - 936.9375 ATCS Monitor • Realtime updates of train locations • Interactive “dispatcher” view • Web interactive data • Receiver updates (Icom R1500) • EOT Monitoring Possible • 1+ Hour lead time on trains • Only works in certain areas
Online Resources • http://www.on-track-on-line.com/ • http://www.modernrailroading.com/DigitalLibrary/CSX/index.htm • http://www.atcsmon.com/ • http://www.railroadmap.com/ • http://maps.bing.com • http://maps.google.com • http://www.dpdproductions.com • http://thesquirrelconspiracy.com • http://youtube.com/fedoramentok/
Baltimore Term Sub: Road: 160.230 Disp: 161.100 Pope's Creek Sub: R&D: 161.070 RFP Sub: Road: 161.550 Disp: 160.410 Some Frequencies • Capitol Sub: • Road: 160.230 • Disp: 160.320 • Old Main Sub: • Road: 160.230 • Disp: 160.320 • Metro Sub: • Road: 160.230 • Disp: 160.320
A few more Frequencies Yards: Jessup 161.490 Benning 160.800 Amtrak NEC 160.920
Be safe and photograph every train! andrew@thesquirrelconspiracy.com A. Straatveit K3NHT