Well, not really. But I have noticed on the BNSF, and I am sure it is true for other roads, that the same trains come through the area at roughly the same time every day, with about a +/-5 minute differential.
Every morning there is an eastbound coal train that makes it’s appearance anytime between 8:30 and 8:40 in the morning, most of the time it’s at 8:33, and then that is usally followed by a westbound train (not sure of the type, I am usually doing something else, and not watching) a few minutes after I get home from dropping the kids at school, say, about 8:45. In the afternoon, there is an intermodal that comes through right before school gets out between 3:20 and 3:30, and then that is followed by a westbound Amtrak at anywhere between 3:30 and 3:40, but most days it comes through at 3:32, and then the Amtrak is followed by a westbound intermodal that makes it’s appearance during the walk home most days. I note the morning and afternoon trains because I am usually doing something outside (like taking the kids to school, or picking them up) Also, in the evening there is an eastbound grain train about 7:00 or so, yesterday it was pulled by CSX power, but is usually headed up by a pair of BNSF GE’s (I have no idea what type)
I always used to think that the freights came through at random times, but, apparently there is a schedule. I always thought that the train was sent out when it was put together, with no thought given to a time schedule… There are manifests and extras that come through during the day at different, more random times. but the coal, grain, and intermodal trains seem to come through at about the same time every day.
I have monitored my local railroads CN and NS for about 5 years now by scanner. The NS trains call out signals which makes it easy to keep track of the trains. NS runs a very tight operation. By tight, it could be within about an hour variance.
For instance, the EB 215 runs about 8:30 - 9:30 pm every night. It is followed by the 262 and then the 236 around 10-11pm. Every night. This of course is going to vary based on congestion in and around the Chicago terminal areas.
Does BNSF trains call out signals on the radio? If so you can monitor the symbols and tie it in with the times daily.
With all the heat railfans are going to receive now with the LA crash, this is a safe method of fanning.
Freight trains definitely have schedules. The hot intermodal trains are the ones that best keep them.
When I worked for Conrail the top trains such as TV10 and TVLA had better be on time or the upper
management would get very upset. Thus we had a very nice scheduled railroad for intermodal
traffic The hot trains were the ones that carried UPS, USPS, perishable and various freight forwarder
traffic. Stac trains were warm, not quite as hot. We got most of that traffic off Chicago connetions
such as the CNW and as you can imagine much of that came from across the Pacific and could be
subject to shipping delays, typhoons and what not. The manifest-carload trains that were watched
closely were those that carried auto parts and perishables.
They don’t call out signals, nor do they use the trains symbol, they call out their locomotive number and direction of travel , e.g. “9758 west”. or, I’ll occasionally hear the intermodals being referred to as the “Chicago to Portland” or some such thing.
My guess is that freight trains are allowed through certain times each day according to Metra schedules. Those freight windows are probably pretty consistent, but are most likely different trains each day. WB Z’s are, however, are pretty darn good at leaving Cicero on time.