Railroad FCC licenses?

SKYNET156 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 02:57 PM

When i use to search the FCC ULS for RR licenses, i found all kinds of frequencies i didn't know that they railroads even used, that was about 2 years ago, now, i log onto the FCC ULS and i can not find anything for any railroad what-so-ever,
Did the FCC remove them from the ULS?
I am located in NYC, but i was looking for Amtrak, MTA, P&W, CSX connecticut,
I can not find anything at all,

SKYNET156 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 03:04 PM

This is what i pulled off of the ULS in 2007 for Amtrak in CT

Amtrak CT
173.3750 Amtrak Police Train Patrols PL 203.5 (CID 146.2)
161.0100
160.9200
160.8150
160.5150
154.4575
159.9450
160.1100
151.6550
151.9250
158.4000
173.2100
173.2250
173.2750
173.3250
173.3900
464.5000
469.5000
160.6350 Amtrak New Haven Service

MtnBiker2005 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 03:36 PM

I believe this is the correct FCC search page you should be using. Not sure what FCC search you are using. Just wanted to make it clear. If you are using the other one

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/General_Menu_Reports/

"Land Mobile - Private [LP]"
"Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional[IG]"

Didn't find anything search option for "RailRoad" only.
Looks like railroad under IG on the FCC search now. ?

This person made this nice list in 2008. Just something to look over. Since he doesn't have a list for New York.
http://gmitch86.home.comcast.net/~gmitch86/lr.htm
http://gmitch86.home.comcast.net/~gmitch86/quick.htm

milf · #4 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 03:47 PM

Yep the RR stuff is now under the business pool umbrella. I have even seen a couple of RR freqs that are now lp public safety pool. Love the restructured FCC... Now if they would get thier stuff straight on certian LTR TRS's and put em in the trunked pool instead of the conventional... LOL anyway I digress,... The restructuring during the last few years is a tad confusing to those that have not checked out the FCC db over the interim.... OK now heres the important part: Anything that you find and can verify vias monitoring that is different now from the info we have in our db here, please submit so we can update. TY

SKYNET156 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 05:19 PM

I am expecting my 2096 in on sat, so as soon as i hook it up, i am going to do a scan of the Fed and RR bands and report back and submit all the stuff that i don't see here,

FLRAILMAN · #6 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 10:38 PM

Skynet, Mtnbiker is right, when the page he recommended comes up, click on "site-frequency query" then click on "land mobile private" on the drop down menu under that pick your particular state of interest then enter the entire AAR railroad allocation from 160.215 MHz to 161.565 MHz or any out of allocation RR frequencies you are aware of then if you are seeking the data on a specific railroad enter it or leave it blank to display all FCC licensed railroads in that particular state. Good luck
FLRAILMAN
PS: This is by no means meant as competition to RRs excellent & very accurate frequency database but there are two subscription based hobbiest frequency database sites I use them when the FCC site is down for whatever reason, they are: www.nationalradiodata.com www.perconcorp.com

ecps92 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 09:00 AM

It's not the FCC's fault for the Licenses being in Conventional vs Trunked or Trunked vs Conventional. It is the applicants fault for not updating the license application and FCC action against some have already occured

Quote:

Originally Posted by milf

Yep the RR stuff is now under the business pool umbrella. I have even seen a couple of RR freqs that are now lp public safety pool. Love the restructured FCC... Now if they would get thier stuff straight on certian LTR TRS's and put em in the trunked pool instead of the conventional... LOL anyway I digress,... The restructuring during the last few years is a tad confusing to those that have not checked out the FCC db over the interim.... OK now heres the important part: Anything that you find and can verify vias monitoring that is different now from the info we have in our db here, please submit so we can update. TY

zerg901 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 12:13 PM

Some of these freqs I recognize as "itinerant" business freqs (anyone can use them anywhere) - the 173 Mhz channels might be for wireless microphones

Amtrak CT
173.3750 Amtrak Police Train Patrols PL 203.5 (CID 146.2)
161.0100 - RR freq
160.9200 - RR freq - maybe Northeast Corridor primary
160.8150 - RR freq - maybe mtnce
160.5150 - RR freq
154.4575 - ?
159.9450 - ? - business freq usually I think
160.1100 - ? - ? business freq
151.6550 - ? - maybe business freq
151.9250 - itinerant ?
158.4000 - itinernat
173.2100
173.2250
173.2750
173.3250
173.3900
464.5000 - itinerant
469.5000 - itinernat
160.6350 Amtrak New Haven Service

If you check the license info further, you will probably see that most of the business freqs licensed here are for portable radios only. There might not be any Amtrak base stations on any of the business or itinerant freqs - in other words - you have to be very close to hear them in use.

Peter sz 1212PM EDT

milf · #9 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 01:36 PM

When I rode the City Of New Orleans from Chicago to Jackson a couple of months ago, the conductor, police, and other staff had Motorola HT1250's. The AMTRAK Police had all the road freqs for the route they travel, station PD freqs for Chicago, and New Orleans, a freq for on board usage, and 155.4750 for interop with local LEA's. Remember that Amtrak PD has a "foot" division on the trains/in stations, a "K-9" division, and an "mounted" patrol division that has patrol cars and SUV's and high power mobile radios programmed with APD, and rail ops. I know in Jackson, MS, they sometimes interopped with CN/IC Security on the primary road freq, and in Indiana have a repeater for ops around the Beech Grove facility.

nd5y · #10 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 06:32 PM

173.2 - 173.4 MHz is SCADA and telemetry, not wireless mics.

seligman · #11 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nd5y

173.2 - 173.4 MHz is SCADA and telemetry, not wireless mics.

Well, Amtrak uses it for voice traffic...I think it's mostly police.

milf · #12 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 07:29 PM

APD uses this on low power for on train comms.

radioman2001 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-05-2009, 04:00 PM

If you want a complete list use the FRN option to search, that will give you every license everywhere

FLRAILMAN · #14 (**permalink**) 10-05-2009, 10:50 PM

I just checked & crossreferenced the following non AAR allocated frequencies for Ct. state licences & this is what I retrieved:

173.375 MHz New Image Landscaping
154.475 MHz nothing licensed
159.945 MHz numerous non railroad related companies
160.11 MHz " " " " "
151.655 MHz " " " " "
151.925 MHz " " " " "
158.4 MHz " " " " "
173.21 MHz United Illuminating
173.225 MHz numerous non railroad related companies
173.275 MHz " " " " "
173.325 MHz Anthony Troiano & Sons
173.39 MHz nothing licensed
154.4575 MHz nothing licensed
464.5 MHz numerous non railroad related companies
469.5 MHz " " " " "

As you all know 173.375 MHz is a valid AMTRAK frequency as many people have reported AMTRAK PD communications on it nationwide. So this leads me to the conclusion that the FCC search format results are probably outdated and/or innacurate (As usual) or playing musical chairs again with frequency lookups.

Here is however some new frequencies I've never seen before, very strange, maybe Radioman2001 can shed some light on these.

MTA-NORTHERN DIVISION (MNCRR)
153.2975 MHz WQKL975
153.3425 MHz "
152.285 MHz WQKW303
152.3525 MHz "
152.3825 MHz "
152.405 MHz "
152.4425 MHz "
157.545 MHz "
157.6125 MHz "
157.6425 MHz "
157.665 MHz "
157.7025 MHz "

AMTRAK (NEC)
156.45 MHz Marine channel 9 WHW965
156.65 MHz " " 13 "
156.8 MHz " " 16 "
These frequencies are used by the bridge tenders to communicate with watercraft only at the following rivers:
Ct. River
Thames River
Mystic River
Niantic River
Shaw Cove

P&W RR
452.9 MHz WPF941
457.9 MHz "
I am presuming that these EOTD frequencies

Branford Electric RR Assoc.
451.95 MHz

Sperry Rail Service
Like AMTRAK, Sperry operates on whatever RR channels that they are testing on under contract, so these must be in-house requencies.
151.625 MHz WPKF815
464.5 MHz WQGL268
464.55 MHz "
464.6 MHz "
464.625 MHz "
464.65 MHz "
464.7 MHz "
464.725 MHz "
464.75 MHz "

FLRAILMAN

ecps92 · #15 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 07:59 AM

Yes !, Depends on how you search the FCC.

Always go back and re-run the Searches.
Use Lat/Lon, use the FRN

Don't always go by Geography. Many times it might be the Mailing not the Transmit Location [License is in PA, yet TX in CT]
Just some hints

173.3750 is licensed to Amtrak
There is US license, there is a NY [40 mi radius] which should put it into CT etc

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLRAILMAN

I just checked & crossreferenced the following non AAR allocated frequencies for Ct. state licences & this is what I retrieved:

173.375 MHz New Image Landscaping

As you all know 173.375 MHz is a valid AMTRAK frequency as many people have reported AMTRAK PD communications on it nationwide. So this leads me to the conclusion that the FCC search format results are probably outdated and/or innacurate (As usual) or playing musical chairs again with frequency lookups.

FLRAILMAN

radioman2001 · #16 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 08:02 AM

With respect to call sign WQKW303 that was an application for PS channels that never happened. We are not very happy with the alternate IB channels, lots of car services/cabs on them, and not very use full, so I would look for cancellation on that license very soon. There are a lot more applications in the works.
As far as AMTRAK on 173.375 and others, a lot of those channels were moved to the IB pool or are shared PS and the IB pool. AMTRAK has also had problems getting RR channels so I suspect they went for some IB channels as well. All RR channels are in the IB pool with a RR coordinator, which I will not go into the problems with them here.

FLRAILMAN · #17 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:18 PM

Thanks guys, that cleared up the FCC site mystery.

FLRAILMAN

icom1020 · #18 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milf

When I rode the City Of New Orleans from Chicago to Jackson a couple of months ago, the conductor, police, and other staff had Motorola HT1250's. The AMTRAK Police had all the road freqs for the route they travel, station PD freqs for Chicago, and New Orleans, a freq for on board usage, and 155.4750 for interop with local LEA's. Remember that Amtrak PD has a "foot" division on the trains/in stations, a "K-9" division, and an "mounted" patrol division that has patrol cars and SUV's and high power mobile radios programmed with APD, and rail ops. I know in Jackson, MS, they sometimes interopped with CN/IC Security on the primary road freq, and in Indiana have a repeater for ops around the Beech Grove facility.

Yep, the 1250's seem to have replaced the old GE MPA's MPD? although a few of the 20+ year old radios are still around. I looked at one a station agent showed me and it seemed to be programmed regionally. I think it had no more than 20-30 channels programmed.