doug uStanding track side. How can you tell where the train orientate from and where it is going to. Pentrex and other rail video co. Seem to know that information. I went on line to see if I can find some information about the fright train schedule but only find passenger schedule. Like other people recording trains passing by l can't find any information about then in the computer.
You will not find published freight train schedules - the exist in proprietary company data only. Outsiders can pick up identifications by having a radio monitor and listening to the communications between the trains and the Train Dispatcher. That will tell you the identification, not necessarily where the train is coming from or going to.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Ask the producers of Midnight Rider. I think they used a crystal ball & some incantations last February.
Tom
This is not an easy thing to figure out. Sometimes it's insider information, that's always nice, but for me was rare. Sometimes it's just having 'been around the block' and recognizing the train by certain blocks of cars that give it away. Or just knowing about what time certain symbols leave or arrive at a certain terminal.
Short answer is that carriers do not make that information available to the general public. Since 9/11/01 they are more closed mouthed than they were before.
Mac
BaltACD You will not find published freight train schedules - the exist in proprietary company data only. Outsiders can pick up identifications by having a radio monitor and listening to the communications between the trains and the Train Dispatcher. That will tell you the identification, not necessarily where the train is coming from or going to.
"Back in the day", NYC published freight schedules as a Traffic Dept marketing tool in a small (5"x8" ?) loose-leaf binder. Each page showed a train's origin terminal and blocking, intermediate yards where blocks were left or picked up, a general description of each block and where it was in the train, and the destination terminal. A few trains that did a lot of work en route had two pages but that was rare.
Trainmasters were expected to "make it so". If he didn't have a good explanation (not an excuse) for every minute after a scheduled departure, he would be in big trouble and could find himself reassigned to someplace like Detroit or Watertown, NY.
These books were considered 'company confidential' but it wasn't too hard to get one. I still have one someplace in my files. I imagine that has been tightened up a lot with increased security since 9/11/01.
ChuckAllen, TX
cefinkjrBaltACD You will not find published freight train schedules - the exist in proprietary company data only. Outsiders can pick up identifications by having a radio monitor and listening to the communications between the trains and the Train Dispatcher. That will tell you the identification, not necessarily where the train is coming from or going to. "Back in the day", NYC published freight schedules as a Traffic Dept marketing tool in a small (5"x8" ?) loose-leaf binder. Each page showed a train's origin terminal and blocking, intermediate yards where blocks were left or picked up, a general description of each block and where it was in the train, and the destination terminal. A few trains that did a lot of work en route had two pages but that was rare. Trainmasters were expected to "make it so". If he didn't have a good explanation (not an excuse) for every minute after a scheduled departure, he would be in big trouble and could find himself reassigned to someplace like Detroit or Watertown, NY. These books were considered 'company confidential' but it wasn't too hard to get one. I still have one someplace in my files. I imagine that has been tightened up a lot with increased security since 9/11/01.
In today's world (at least on my carrier) the Schedule & Classifications are no longer a published book, as with most anything else, they exist on the company's computer system. They are updated and changed weekly. Operating personnel (Divisional and Terminal personnel) must update themselves on all the changes that apply to their areas of responsibility. In some cases the changes will be ideas that division and terminal personnel have formulated to improve their operations. In other cases the changes will something the system operations have mandated to support some system activity (MofW Curfew, Line outage, etc). All changes, no matter who originated them must be processed through the Service Design department.
BaltACD In today's world (at least on my carrier) the Schedule & Classifications are no longer a published book, as with most anything else, they exist on the company's computer system. They are updated and changed weekly. Operating personnel (Divisional and Terminal personnel) must update themselves on all the changes that apply to their areas of responsibility. In some cases the changes will be ideas that division and terminal personnel have formulated to improve their operations. In other cases the changes will something the system operations have mandated to support some system activity (MofW Curfew, Line outage, etc). All changes, no matter who originated them must be processed through the Service Design department.
I'm fairly certain NYC's freight schedules book was maintained on computers but access via a computer was very limited in those days. Hence the printed loose leaf books.
Your "Service Design" department sounds like our Traffic Dept with an updated name. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Many of CSX's trains were listed on "The Bullsheet," now long defunct. The information was taken over by another site, but I'm not sure if that one is still in existence, either. It was fairly accurate and covered most, if not all, of the system.
Local fans usually know pretty much what's running in their areas, and, as mentioned, can use information gleaned from railroad radio traffic as well as corroborating reports from other railfans to figure out endpoints.
Conrail used train designations that included the endpoints, although they were rather cryptic - usually just two letters for each. So the train running from Podunk to Elm City might be called "PKEC," with the reciprocal trip called "ECPK."
I think BNSF and UP use such designations today.
CSX uses a combination of an alpha designator plus a number. The alpha designator tells (more or less) what kind of train it is (unit, manifest, etc), and the first number (of three) might give some characteristic information about the train, but after that you're on your own.
Other railroads also use "class" designators. Others can explain.
On a give day here I might see Q621, Q622, B778, and Q153 (IIRC). Maybe an occasional "K" train, too. CSX appends the origin date on the end, ie, Q621-15.
NS just uses numbers, as I recall, and I have no insight as to any information that may be coded within them.
Bottom line, sometimes you can tell the endpoints from the train designator, sometimes it takes some detective work to find out.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Some times, you just need to listen to the scanner to hear the train's symbol. When calling a yard for yarding instructions, we often will use the train symbol, with or with out the engine number. The symbol lets the yardmaster/foot board yardmaster know immediately which train is calling.
Jeff
On certain lines sometimes your own observations may be just the thing. For example here in Richmond VA you can pretty much count on both sections of the CSX StackTrain coming past the Staples Mill Road Amtrak station anytime between three and four PM. It's pretty much a sure thing.
Amtrak schedules may give you a clue as freights usually run either just before or just after Amtrak times.
Bear in mind however freight trains usually run on an as-needed basis. There are scheduled freights but those are more the exception than the rule.
Good hunting!
Firelock76Bear in mind however freight trains usually run on an as-needed basis. There are scheduled freights but those are more the exception than the rule.
The BullSheet listed times, but as I recall, suggested that the start times were call times, not scheduled departures. Work to be done before leaving the initial terminal can greatly vary actual departure times.
As noted though, many trains tend to run at or near the same time on a regular basis, even though they aren't technically scheduled as such.
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