Hey all,
I’m rather new to this forum & have a question. I would like to be able to more or less narrow down the time to take photographs trains coming through my area (NS coming through northern VA). I’ve read that some people use “scanners”. Is that correct? If it is, what kind of scanners are used & how much do they cost? Also, how do people find out the number of the train & it’s destination or origin?
Thanks,
Lee
Welcome to the forum. There are several ways a scanner can be helpfull. First, Most mainlines have talking defect detectors every so many miles that broadcast a message when a train passes. These can tell many things depending on what the railroad programs them to say, this includes milepost, speed, axle count, ambient temp., ect. Very helpfull in letting you know if something is comeing.
Then there are track warrents and direct traffic controll. In these territories there are either no signals or the signals are only a protective overlay and don’t convey authority. In that case you will hear the dispatcher giveing track warrants or block authority. If you know the line real well or have a timetable (an employee or railfan timetable, not a passenger TT) you can easily figure out where the trains are and are going to if you listen for a bit.
Then there is the PBX channels where track maintainance and inspection employees usually communicate with the dispatcher. This can tell you if track is taken out of service (meaning no trains for a while), or if you get lucky the dispatcher will give out a train lineup to a trackworker and then you might hear roughly what’s expect in the near future.
There is also the EOT (or FRED) device that transmitts data bursts. If you hear these bursts that means a train in within a couple miles. If you live real close to the track that just might be enough warning to get trackside in time.
Usually you will not get train symbols or other information over the scanner unless you get lucky (or in your case know the NS schedual which is acurate within an hour or so from what I hear) and the DS or crew mentions it. Most of the time the train wil be identified by the lead units road and number.
Scanners are relatively cheap, $80 to $100 for the typical Radio Shack deal. Or you can spend hundreds if you want fancy features and accessorys
Welcome to the forum Lee. You can listen to some public scanners over the Internet to give you an idea of what you will hear on your own. Try this website for streaming scanner broadcasts, some are very busy, others can be quiet at times.
I would suggest trying one of the bigger cities as they tend to be busier, but if you live in a more rural area you should try one of them to get an idea that they can be quiet at times too.
If trains are your main thing… One basic affordable radio you might want to check out is the Uniden 92XLT.
Also, I have quite a bit of RR frequency info, and also a glossary of RR radio terms, on the site below.
Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
I have three scanners going in my house today…guess I am a bit over the top.
They are about the best way to put you in touch with the railroad’s operations these days. NS train crews “call” their signals over the radio, so you can always tell when a train is nearby. CSX does the same.
Radio Shack has pretty good scanners for $100. The handhelds have a limited range, so it depends on what you are going to do with it…take it to the field or leave it at home. I have one handheld and two desktops.
ed
ONLY IF YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD TUNED RR ANTENNA. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH MY HAND HELDS.[:)]
You don’t have a location listed - as usual, I must add the caveat that you need to be aware of local scanner laws, if any. A Google on “scanner law” will probably point you in the right direction. Some states are fairly strict - get caught and you get a ticket and lose your scanner. Most states have no restrictions, however.
If you’re not going to travel a lot, you might add local police and fire - you can often find those frequencies on the web or at a local scanner retailer. Helps fill in the times when the RR channels are quiet.
“Radio Shack has pretty good scanners for $100. The handhelds have a limited range, so it depends on what you are going to do with it…take it to the field or leave it at home. I have one handheld and two desktops.” Actually – and I agree with eolafan on this – handhelds can be just as sensitive as base units. They say cameras are only as good as the lens – scanners are only as good as the antenna. I have the rubber ducky that came with the scanner, plus a telescopic antenna with an in-line signal booster (Radio Shack) which improves the range. But my handheld is always in the right side cup holder in my SUV, with a DC adapter to save the batteries and it is hooked to a 36" magnetic mount antenna in the rear compartment (stuck to an old ATSF tie plate), just behind the second seat. The only thing that works better than that arrangement is when I’m out chasing and I stick it to the truck roof. PZ
You are right. Very few states restrict the use of scanners in vehicles or in public. If I remember correctly Kentucky and Indiana forbid the use of scanners in either public property or in your car without a permit; however, that may have changed. Florida, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota only forbid the use of scanners in your car without a permit. In any event it is not a good idea to openly wave a scanner about, even though there may not be any restrictions on its use in public.
In most cases the restrictions on scanners are in reality restrictions on the use of any radio that is capable of receiving signals on public safety or emergency service frequencies. Today, many police or emergency services use very high frequency carrier frequencies which may no longer be close to the carrier frequencies used by the railroads.