Interoperability of EOT Devices?

[Anonymous]

To all -

Are end of train (EOT) devices from different vendors interoperable with head of train (HOT)? [?]


Specifically, is there a common radio modulation and data format used by all EOT vendors or is a WABTEC EOT only received by WABTEC HOT and Quantum EOT received by Quantum EOT?

Does the AAR specifiy EOT communications in its MSRP?


thanks very much!
Dave

[oltmannd]

All the EOTs are interoperable with the exception of the NS VHF EOTs.

The story I've always heard is that the first EOT was build by the Southern Rwy in their lab and used one of their voice VHF channels. When they started to build their own, they decided to stick with VHF because it had slightly better range than UHF and they already had the freq assigned. SOU, and later NS, decided to stick with VHF until the Conrail merger. They started buying dual freq HOTS. Now they are in the process of phasing out the VHF EOTs (not sure if any are still around or not)

When the other roads got interested, I believe they decided to go to a universal freq outside the RR VHF band so nobody's current voice assignments would have to be changed. They had a UHF freq assignd (465.375?) The first commercial EOT I remeber on Conrail was on manufactured by DSL of Canada in circa 1985.

[BentnoseWillie]

Last I heard SBU's (EOT's) across the US and Canada operate on 452.9375 MHz, HBU's (HOT's) on 457.9375 MHz.

The only road I'm aware of using different SBU and HBU frequencies is NS.

[wabash1]

duh......sbu.... hbu conrail and our hots got mixed with the eots. and all i thought i did was drive a train gedt speed up turn left and right. use jake brake alittle air and independant. i wish i could find the turn signals and the mirrors. ( ed where did you go with them again) . I know what i will do ill climb on board and go to bed just like all good conductors

[ValleyX]

Didn't the Florida East Coast use the first EOT devices in the United States? I've never heard of that story about the Southern, all I know is that Southern and N&W were already merged together approximately two years before the EOT's replaced the cabooses. Not to say they didn't develop them but all I ever saw were those miserable Southern cabooses.

[oltmannd]

I don't know if FEC used brake pipe pressure telemetry, but whatever they did when they took the cabins off, it was wayside based, not direct to the head end.

My Southern story came from a guy who worked in the Southern's lab when they did it. It must have been a couple of years before the merger. He left NS at the merger and went to work for CR.

[ValleyX]

Is he still working today?

Knew a guy who worked for NS, wasn't happy with them at all, had a chance to go to CR, guess who he works for today?[banghead]

[jabrown1971]

To show how interchangeable they are.........while working for the INRD, our EOT's would frequently end up on the IC and CSX and there EOT's on our trains...........one night, after the UP/SP merger, one of our crews went and picked up an empty coal train at C.I.P.S., the EOT on the last hopper belonged to SP. That one stayed on the road for a few months. Just in case you are wondering......IC delivered the previous train to C.I.P.S. with cars that had come from out west. The SP EOT had come from Wyoming off the UP, the power plant just stuck the EOT on the trains and away it went. All the way to Indy eventually.

[Anonymous]

Working for the CP I see mostly CP SBU's, but often times there are many CN SBUs mixed in, also seen a good number of BN and even a few BC Rail (now CN) have passed through.

All of the ones here are interchangeable, and when you get one that works you're on your way no matter what the initials are.... And perferably one of the ATX ones that runs on air, that way you don't have to lug the ones with the big heavy batteries around.

It's in the best interest for RRs to use their own SBUs though, because as I understand it, when an SBU is on a foreign railway, they have to pay to use it just like power hours and locomotives, and if an SBU goes missing, and it's a CP one, but was last tagged as being used by the CN, then the CN owes CP for that SBU.

Always neat to see the different styles and initials on the SBUs though.