Scanners and CB Radios?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I know you can listen to the engineers with scanners but can you also listen to them on a CB? What is the frequency for Union Pacific’s shoreline subdivision?

2

My tendency would be to assume they are not compatible because CB frequency ranges were established decades ago; and the modern scanner is capable of covering many hundreds of MHz. Even though we fanners use scanners, civilians in general aren’t supposed to have a set that receives and transmits, I believe.

Take your time shopping; scanners are not cheap! [V]

Best of luck, Al (al-in-chgo).

PS: Hang on at least a few days on this thread; you’re bound to get better-informed answers than mine! [8)]

3

The 40 channel CB radios operate at 27 MHZ. I think the UP sub is 160.485 MHZ, AAR 25. Not sure.
So the answer is you can not listen to engineers on CB radio.

4

I know you can listen to the engineers with scanners but can you also listen to them on a CB?<<

No.

This will be a very, very basic explanation.

The frequencies of the CB radio channels 1-40 fall into the Longwave AM Radio band, which is roughly 26.965 to 27.405 MHz. Those frequencies on the frequency scale are just above the frequency of commercial AM radio, which is roughly 530-1710 kHz. The 96 AAR channels used by U.S. Railroads are in an FM band 160-161 MHz (MegaHertz), which is above commercial FM radio channels (88MHZ-108MHz)

Here’s a very basic rundown:

  • Longwave AM Radio = 0hz(LF)
  • Mediumwave AM Radio = 530kHz - 1710kHz (MF)
  • CB radio = 26.965MHz-27.405MHz
  • TV Band I (Channels 2 - 6) = 54MHz - 88MHz (VHF)
  • FM Radio Band II = 88MHz - 108MHz (VHF)
  • TV Band III (Channels 7 - 13) = 174MHz - 216MHz (VHF)
  • TV Bands IV & V (Channels 14 - 69) = 470MHz - 806MHz (UHF)

This is a little more detailed:

Frequency

Band

10 kHz to 30 kHz

Very Low Frequency (VLF)
5

Thanks for the link PZ. But still not sure what channel Shore Line Sub uses. Because it lists, ATSF is it current?

6

The author claims his list was last updated June of 2004 – well after the merger.

It also lists 161.040 as a Chicago North Western frequency – but that is the current road frequency used by UP on the Meridith-Clinton portion of the Geneva Sub (former CNW Overland Route through northern Illinois). Us locals know that, but for foreigners who don’t know the history it could be a pain.

I can’t find anything more up-to-date. Maybe someone else has it.

I have a 1000-channel scanner and one bank has all of the AAR channels on it. Very, very few areas are so busy that the RRs interfere with each other – even in Downtown Chicago and on the South Side.

7

PZ This looks like a helpful link.
http://www.steamtrainsandtractors.com/RR_Freq_Guide.html

8

I saw that one – but it is limited to Illinois and Wisconsin…

9

You can use a Bearcat Scanner and listen a little bit to various stuff including FREDS on the back of the trains but it’s a very different set of freqs than a regular down home CB radio. In fact, I think that CB radios are on the way out because of the sheer dominance of the cell phone today. But it is a traditional part of trucking and will be around for a long time.

10

Are u sure that non-railroad employee’s are prohibited from owning or possessing a VHF Radio tuned to the Railroad Radio Spectrum Band ?