"RAILFANNING IDEAS"

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

[Merged with moved “RAILFANNING FUN”]

Hi Guys n Gals

Along with working on a new layout, I like to railfan here in Oregon, but I would like to know when a train is coming instead of waiting all day to at times seeing a quiet mainline, I would also love to hear the radio chatter between dispatch and the train crew, that would add to the excitement of railfanning, I was wondering, which radio is best to buy and use???

Thanks All

Happy Modelrailroading [8D]

Trainsrme1

2

I can’t tell you which is the best. I have a PRO-75, which is from the late 90’s, and I listen to the CN, UP, WSOR, and the local tourist train down the street, the East Troy Electric.

https://www.easttroyrr.org/

You just need to find a decent scanner, and find out the channels that the railroads, local to you, use.

Here’s one of many sites to get that information:

https://www.radioreference.co

Configure your scanner accordingly, and listen in.

Most of what I hear is from main dispatch, from what area your in, to the trains, and MOW chatter.

Mike.

EDIT: You can get the base station type, add an antenna, you good to go, or you can use a portable, like mine, runs on batteries or a plug in adaptor for home use.

3

I’d like to know that too. There is a website and I think app, called broadcastify. I’ve only listened to it on computer, but to me, it’s disappointing. I don’t really know what I an listening to.

  • There is a lot of noise as in non verbal noise, hiss, alert tones?
  • You can only hear one side of some conversations
  • It’s hard to know where trains are based on what I hear.
  • Defect detector announcements are clear.

This is Altoona Pa NS channel https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/2247/web

4

You will get more results if you post this in the Trains forums, as this is not a model RR topic.

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111.aspx

I would recomend the Uniden Bearcat scanner, just put in all your channells and set it to scan, has decent range and decent price.

5

I replied to this last night??? where did the other posts to this thread go?

BigDaddy also replied to this last night. ???

I think it’s OK in here, maybe in the Prototype forum.

Mike.

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http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/274251.aspx

Maybe the OP forgot he posted. Memory problems are all the rage this weekend.[}:)]

Would we be model railroaders if we weren’t railfans of some sort? I don’t quite get chasing one train for half a day, but maybe that’s a function of the traffic where I live.

7

OK, I thought I was the only one with that problem!

I never thought to look around, as I couldn’t remember where he posted it first.

See, there’s that memory thing again!

Mike.

8

Actually this in prototype information for the modeler forum and should work since many modelers are also railfans.

Modeling and railfaning goes together like peanut butter and jelly since this is how modelers gain modeling ideas…

9

I have a radio shack scanner works great trains and aircraft

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Try ebay

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Uniden Bearcat is what I use.

It gets pretty good reception, and does at times pick up from quite a distance.

But, unless you know the mile markers on the line you are rail fanning, you are still going to be guessing to some extent. Yes, actual engine crew transmissions are from relatively close by, but I can pick up dispatchers for the entire division on clear days.

12

Mine is a Radio Shack, Tandy Co., is listed as the manufacturer. Yea it’s old, from the 90’s, but still works.

New channels have a longer number, which I can’t get, so I might check into an upgrade.

Also, when I listen to the CN, they don’t give a specific train ID such “train QT220”, it’s always the lead locos number.

Mike.