I know most modern railroads use long train designations that incude the train type, three letter marker for stations of origin and destination, priority, and date. My question is how do they identify themselves on the radio? Do they use this entire designation or do they use some sort of abbreviation?
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
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Not all railroads use designators such as you suggest. NS uses three character train designators, and CSX uses four characters, followed by the two digit date (ie, Q621-13).
I often hear CSX using just the four character designator informally, especially if that's the only train with that designator in the area (a delay might put two of them on the road at the same time - ie, Q620-12 and Q620-13). Adding the date tends to sound like your mother using your middle name....
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...
On the UP, I only hear actual designations (MPRSS=Manifest PRoviso SouthSaintpaul) or the identifying number (UP6688 North). Many moons ago (during my day) the C&NW trains had 'unofficial' train numbers that we used (477, 291, etc), but were officially frowned upon for safety reasons.
On the CP and the CN, I hear trains call themselves by their 'unofficial' number ("807's train, 482's train, etc) and/or by their identifying number.
In the Pacific Northwest BNSF and UP dispatchers just use lead unit numbers. It is so much easier.
Mac
In the Calgary area I've never heard CP use anything but the lead engine number.
AgentKid
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
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. . . __ . ______
It is what ever i feel like some times its train symbol and sometimes its engine number ,
Interesting on the car counts, etc. We're using 85' passenger cars, so we usually use 40' or half car, 20' or quarter car.
We use the NORAC "three step." Just finished our NORAC class for the year and having the entire crew acknowledge wasn't mentioned. For that matter, many times only the trainman and the engineer are even near the train during some moves - everyone else is cooling their heels in the station or setting up to flag the crossing we don't blow for.
As for the name thing - we've always used the engine number during moves. Unless we're calling a specific member of the crew. If there's more than one trainman, you either have to give them some sort of designator or just call them "trainman Smith." "Trainman Smith" is a lot easier to remember.
On the NS Lake Division, the crews use their symbol only when calling signals or talking to the dispatcher about the line-up. When switching, or getting three point protection they use train symbol and engine number. When copying Track Authorities, they use engine number only.
"big brother" must have been listening a few months ago as they were spelling out the number of the Track Authorities. It really tied up the radio for both the dispatcher and the permitee to spell out all those numbers.
PNWRMNM In the Pacific Northwest BNSF and UP dispatchers just use lead unit numbers. It is so much easier.
Using the names of the crew members - as in (to the engineer) "OK to go ahead now, Jim" could be problematical when there's more than 1 "Jim" running a locomotive - or any on-track equipment - on any railroad - within radio range.
The micro managing rule on repeating numbers on TW's is a joke. I haven't touched a TW in yrs and if I to repeat one back, lord help us.
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