Forums

[pat390]

has anyone ever heard anything but a hotbox detector while listening to train frequences on a scanner?

[athelney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pat390

has anyone ever heard anything but a hotbox detector while listening to train frequences on a scanner?

Not sure what you mean ! You hear all sorts of things -- anything in particular your thinking of ? Yesterday was listening to CN & CP at Page Bc , An eastbound intermodal CN # 102 with 9523 lead unit caused the hotbox detector to go off at CP mileage 80.1 on the Cascade sub - that was interesting.

[Anonymous]

All I hear on my Scanner every day is: UP detector milepost 332.0. or UP dector milepost 335.3.

UP detector milepost 335.3......no defects......detector out!
UP detector milepost 332.0......no defects......detector out!
UP omaha sub. dispatcher over!

[Big_Boy_4005]

If the crew has no reason to talk to dispatch, you won't hear anything. Get closer to Chicago, and the thing will probably go berzerk. Find a stretch of joint track, a junction, a yard, even a track crew. All of those things require communication. Find them and you'll hear stuff.

I just found this, check it out.

http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/index.html

[Noah Hofrichter]

Also if you live near an area where a "local" train is needed to pick up cars from industries, you can get quite a bit, namely car counts by the conductor to a spot, joint ect, and alot fo other stuff too.

Noah

[eolafan]

Yes, I hear lots of communications between trains and dispatchers, yards, locals, etc. all the time. I hear Metra trains calling the signals going into Hill Yard in Aurora, and the locals and yard jobs talking to the yard master and to each other. I hear switching crews talking to each other all the time as well. When a mainline freight/intermodal, etc. is cruising through town and is simply following the signal indications properly and has nothing in particular to talk about, I never hear them at all. Somebody else has said it, when there is something for the crews to talk about or the dispatcher or yard office, etc. you will hear plenty. There is rarely a time in Aurora when my scanner is silent for more than a couple of minutes.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys....what's your favorite scanner?

The Radio SHack Pro-96 has quickly become my favorite "all around" scanner but I have been using a Yaesu - Vertex VX-150 for my railfanning....great sensativity!

[Anonymous]

Radio Shack scanners suck I have two of them,Id rather own a Bearcat instead!

[Anonymous]

I just got my Bearcat SC 180 this past Monday. I haven't sat down and really studied the directions on how to program it but I have manuelly entered the local frequencies up in the Bellingham WA area and have listened to crews and dispatchers talking. My wife and I are thinking of going to the Izzaak Walton Inn in mid Sept. on vacation. It should be fun to listen to over Stevens pass and eastward.

[athelney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kenweisenburger

I just got my Bearcat SC 180 this past Monday. I haven't sat down and really studied the directions on how to program it but I have manuelly entered the local frequencies up in the Bellingham WA area and have listened to crews and dispatchers talking. My wife and I are thinking of going to the Izzaak Walton Inn in mid Sept. on vacation. It should be fun to listen to over Stevens pass and eastward.

I have a Bearcat SC150 that I use for my railfanning -- good all round performance - quite happy with it. You mentioned going to Issac Walton Inn . Do check out the other spots on Marias Pass - especially around Glacier and a few miles east , great shots going over the high bridge with the mountains in the background ( your wife will like the scenery if you need an excuse!!).

[Anonymous]

Yea here in Becker MN were 20 miles from St. Cloud and there is a rail yard in st cloud. in st cloud there is a split off the main line and it runs up into st cloud to a train yard and on my scanner i always here them talk in scanner and when they come out into the main line to and pick up local car from like Liberty paper in Becker here or etc you hear them talk to dispatchers and dispatchers let them know like when a long distance train is due to come in and stuff like that. when the Coal train is up in the power plant i hear the crew talking to dispatch too.