mudchickenWho picks the names: Usually the operating bubbas.
Hmm. I would have guessed some high level 'desk jockey' who never talks on the radio. Similar / identical / long names sounds like a recipe for confusion and time consuming readbacks.
A UP example: here in SoCal they have two CPs named 'North Montclair', only the designator (AL517/AL519) is different. Also, CP Ontario is close to CP North Ontario but on different subs.
New CPs on BNSF don't seem to get names, only numbers e.g. CP 704. More readback bait.
I prefer Metrolink's method to give every CP a unique name, siding CPs included.
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MikeF90Hmm. I would have guessed some high level 'desk jockey' who never talks on the radio. Similar / identical / long names sounds like a recipe for confusion and time consuming readbacks.
I've usually found that such names are downright cryptic. One word, and sometimes even that's truncated. F'rinstance, the block station just north of Holland Patent is simply "PAT."
CPs on the Chicago Line in NY seem to simply be mileposts.
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Always fun to see old threads given a new shot of adrelinline.
The next time I am in Decatur, I might attempt to sneak onto the ROW and snap a photo of my namesake CP, even tho it was a mistake.
There is a signal on the CSX here in NW Indiana. Several years ago there was a nasty 3 train pileup when a train crew ran thru signals and struck a sitting empty ethanol train at 43mph. Along came another train on the adjacent track and there was quite a mess to clean up....fortunately no lives were lost.
Occasionally a CSX crewman will call the signal with the normal sequence and add "at the Green mile". When one reads the STB report of the accident, it becomes obvious why the nickname "Green mile" has evolved. The engineer's name of the train which ran the signals is named Green.
Ed
I remember that wreck. Was living in Chicago at the time. That's a hilarious anecdote attached to a pretty ugly incident. Miraculous that no lives were lost.
MikeF90 A UP example: here in SoCal they have two CPs named 'North Montclair', only the designator (AL517/AL519) is different. Also, CP Ontario is close to CP North Ontario but on different subs.
On the UP the name doesn't matter. Only the CP number (CP AL517 or CP AL519 per the examples given) is used in official capacity for main track authorizations (track warrants, track permits, track and time and foul time) or flagging trains past a stop signal. The names are used only in conversation.
Jeff
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