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5 digit CSX Train Symbols?

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5 digit CSX Train Symbols?
Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Sunday, April 2, 2017 1:11 PM

Found a air tag on the ground by the Cumberland yard and it said CSX Q 15156? I know what Q151 may be but what are the last 2 digits ?

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, April 3, 2017 8:38 AM

CandOforprogress2
Found a air tag on the ground by the Cumberland yard and it said CSX Q 15156? I know what Q151 may be but what are the last 2 digits ?

The final 2 digits of CSX Train Identities are the date that the train originated.

In your example you are incorrect!  There is never a 56th day of a month.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Monday, April 3, 2017 5:50 PM

It can't be May (5) sixth (6) and I doubt that its the fifth section of #151 of the sixth day so I'm confused. 

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Posted by Saturnalia on Monday, April 3, 2017 6:02 PM

Electroliner 1935

It can't be May (5) sixth (6) and I doubt that its the fifth section of #151 of the sixth day so I'm confused. 

The format is:

Class Letter (Q, N, E, K, Z, etc)

Three digits for the train number (pretty much random)

Two digits for the date of the month originated. 

 

So Q151 today was Q15103. D700 was D70003. Tomorrow those two will be Q15104 and D70004 respectively. 

Given that the additional digits are mainly there to help dispatchers, the computer, etc keep track of the same train but from different dates, it is rare to hear the last two digits called on the radio by train crews because they're more or less meaningless in the signal-calling application generally heard. 

Additionally, many railroaders and railfans alike will stylize these as "D700-03" and "Q151-03" to further emphasize the difference in the first three, versus the last two, digits.  

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Monday, April 3, 2017 9:37 PM

Sorry i dont remember the exact numbers but perhaps it would be Q31728?

Q31728 would be Q317 ( CSX Mountain Sub) on the 28th day of the month?

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, April 3, 2017 10:53 PM

It is not unheard of for specific scheduled trains for successive days to end up on the same territory at the same time.  Additionally, with CSX's Letter + 3 digit train number + 2 digit date of origin it is possible for say - D742-01 and E742-01 to be on the same territory at the same time. 

It is the Dispatchers responsibility to KNOW which train he is transacting business with - a mistake can be deadly.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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