"New" Conrail freqs in NJ (?)

[kb2vxa]

Hi again,

I finally found the frequencies for the Conrail branch line from Freehold (Monmouth Jct.) to Toms River via Lakewood. It also integrates into the Federal Rail system connecting the Earl NWS (ammunition pier) with Lakehurst NAS. Transmitter sites are along the RoW in Freehold and Lakewood, both just off Rte. 9.

160.860 road? (F)
161.130 MoW/PBX (L)
161.860 road? (F-L)

Perhaps someone has further knowlege and can clarify this? I haven't heard any activity yet but with the holidays...

 

[railroader82]

To be quite honest you won't hear too much other than occaisional low power traffic when the conductor and engineer talk to eachother like when drilling industries or making other moves. Other than that, theres not much for radio traffic on the Southern Secondary. The reason is that the Southern is governed by DCS authority. Don't know how much you know about railroading but that means that the trains on the line fill out a preprinted form as per dispatcher authority. This is normally done via telephone before the train even leaves Browns Yard in Sayreville and makes its trip down via the NJT North Jersey Coast Line. Needless to say, you won't here much dispatcher to train conversation on the airwaves.

NJT North Jersey Coast Line 161.235
NWS Earle Railroad 140.025

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi Railroader and all,

I guess that's why I don't hear much, only a few broken transmissions once in a while. Just this evening I heard a few brief transmissions coming in full scale on 161.010, Amtrak NJ road which is surprising considering the distance. Now I'm wondering if a couple of NJT guys switched to a "private" channel for a brief chat. BTW, Earl NWS Rail Ops is pretty busy as is the rest of the base. "Where do you keep your nuclear wessels?" (;->)

 

[railroader82]

Yeah, every once in a while some of those Amtrak New York Division transmissions make it down here to Monmouth County or further. On occaision you will here Union or even Dock if the conditions are right.
Very important to remember though is some of those hits are eastbound NJT Coast Line trains will do a radio checks on the Amtrak NYD channel. Trains from Bayhead will normally do a check with Brielle, Long Branch trains will usually do a check in the yard, and/or approaching Union.

 

[Erik_T_Romatowski]

FYI,

160.860 is the Conrail North Jersey Dispatch. You will hear everything from the Browns Yard Div., and the Lehigh Line to the Port Reading Sec. and the Chemical Coast.

 

[railroader82]

Lehigh Line is controlled by the North Jersey Dispatcher.
Chemical Coast, Port Reading Secondary, and points south including the Southern Secondary are under the control of the South Jersey Dispatcher. These were formerly controlled by the Branch Line Dispatcher.

 

[Erik_T_Romatowski]

I think your confused. The Lehigh Line, Port Reading Secondary (makes sense to be controlled by North as it connects to the Lehigh Line), Browns Yard Division (lines North of JG interlocking in Jamesburg), and presumably the Chemical Coast are all on 160.860 and controled by North Jersey (I have heard trains talking to North Jersey Dispatch on the Port Reading and Amboy Secondaries on 160.860. Any Shared Assets line from Jamesburg NJ south (including the sothern half of the Browns Yard division such as the Southern Secondary) is controlled by South Jersey Dispatch. Metuchen Yard (Shared assets north of Jamesburg on the NEC), has its operations split onto two frequencies. 160.980 (which is used on yard operations, and operations on lines not on the NEC such as the Delco and Millstone ITs. This frequency is also shared with the CSX Trenton line, dispatched by NI dispatch), and 161.010 (for operations on the NEC, this is the NEC road channel). That is the current configuration for Conrail Shared Assets lines in Middlesex county.

 

[railroader82]

Erik,
I'm not doubting your knowledge, but.....
I have ran trains on these lines and personally used these freqs. You're right, it doesn't make sense at quick glance why Conrail rearranged dispatching territories a few years ago. The South Jersey dispatcher controlling the Chem Coast and Port Reading Secondary helps take some of the load off the overwhelmed North Jersey Dispatcher. Don't forget North Jersey controls Lehigh Line, Northern Branch, National Docks etc etc etc. North Jersey is a busy busy desk at times.
South Jersey's main frequency used on the Chem Coast and Port Reading Secondary is 160.935. South Jersey also uses 161.070 in the Browns area. Much of his territory is DCS rules(Form D) territory.
You are correct about the Metuchen ops. 160.98 is the yard frequency, and while on the NEC use Amtrak's NYD freq of 161.01, only while running on the main. Once they disappear onto the delco or the can or tire, they're either use the Metuchen freq, or one of the other 4 original Conrail road channels for "stealth" operations.

 

[Erik_T_Romatowski]

Erik,
I'm not doubting your knowledge, but.....
I have ran trains on these lines and personally used these freqs. You're right, it doesn't make sense at quick glance why Conrail rearranged dispatching territories a few years ago. The South Jersey dispatcher controlling the Chem Coast and Port Reading Secondary helps take some of the load off the overwhelmed North Jersey Dispatcher. Don't forget North Jersey controls Lehigh Line, Northern Branch, National Docks etc etc etc. North Jersey is a busy busy desk at times.
South Jersey's main frequency used on the Chem Coast and Port Reading Secondary is 160.935. South Jersey also uses 161.070 in the Browns area. Much of his territory is DCS rules(Form D) territory.
You are correct about the Metuchen ops. 160.98 is the yard frequency, and while on the NEC use Amtrak's NYD freq of 161.01, only while running on the main. Once they disappear onto the delco or the can or tire, they're either use the Metuchen freq, or one of the other 4 original Conrail road channels for "stealth" operations.

Sorry I doubted you, to be honest, its been awhile since being on the Port Reading. But is all of Browns Yard (such as the Amboy Secondary) controlled by South Jersey? If so, it then begs the question, why does Browns Yard itself operate on 160.860?

 

[railroader82]

No need to apologize, everyone including myself makes mistakes.
Anyways, lets see if I can type this out without wearing off my fingers.
Before Conrail was split up, there were 4 common road channels that were used for all train operations across the entire system. The numbers are not the AAR numbers, but rather only reference numbers used within the company only.
CH 1 160.800 AAR 46
CH 2 161.070 AAR 64
CH 3 160.860 AAR 50
CH 4 160.980 AAR 58
CH _ 160.935 AAR 55 (added after CSX/NS split)
All road operations used one of these frequencies with the exception of some larger yards and other small exceptions.

Pre CSX/NS Split
-CR Lehigh Line Disp (entire line) CH 2
-CR Trenton Line Disp CH 1
-CR Branch Line Disp CH 3 (this would cover Primarily the secondary tracks like the Chemical Coast, Port Reading Secondary, Amboy Secondary, Southern Secondary, etc...)

After Split
-NS Lehigh Line (PA to Port Reading Junction) CH 2
-CSX Trenton Line CH 4
-CR North Jersey Disp CH 3 (Lehigh Line Port Reading Junction to Valley, National Docks, etc...)
-CR South Jersey Disp CH x (Chemical Coast, Port Reading Secondary)
-CR South Jersey Disp CH 2 (Amboy, Southern, & Freehold Secondaries)

As you can see, the SJ Dispatcher uses two frequencies in the area. The South Jersey frequency of 160.935 (AAR 55) was added after the split up to help alleviate the endless radio chatter that comes from the Chemical Coast, especially in the Port Newark/E Port area. South Jersey also uses 161.070 in the Browns Area for trains operating on the radiating Secondaries and other tracks not controlled by the Browns Yardmaster.

Now heres a very important point to understand. Just because the surrounding main or secondary lines may use a particular frequency, the actual yard itself or tracks controlled by the yardmaster such as certain industrial or running tracks are likely to use a seperate frequency(one of the 4 road channels). This is true with Browns and Port Reading, so I guess technically we both were right! :wink:

 

[kb2vxa]

Just to make life interesting the licenses are held by Penn-Central. (;->) While Bob Hope sings Thanks For The Memories here's an unusual photograph taken at South Amboy. If the file name appears and gives it away I'll be disappointed, I'd like your guesses on how it was done.

 

[Erik_T_Romatowski]

Just to make life interesting the licenses are held by Penn-Central. (;->) While Bob Hope sings Thanks For The Memories here's an unusual photograph taken at South Amboy. If the file name appears and gives it away I'll be disappointed, I'd like your guesses on how it was done.

I'd say Fuzees.

 

[railroader82]

I thought about it for a bit, but then I cheated...
But now it seems so obvious!

Erik, did you see my response to you? It was easy to miss with the pic of the G.

 

[Erik_T_Romatowski]

I thought about it for a bit, but then I cheated...
But now it seems so obvious!

Erik, did you see my response to you? It was easy to miss with the pic of the G.

Yes I did, and I guess with Yards operating on different channels is how I got confused, and thought it was simpiler then it is.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Seeing a GG-1 brings back memories of a much simpler time in railroading, albeit in Penn Central paint. I am very happy that many of these magnificent locomotives were saved from the cutting torch. Conversely, I wish I could say the same for a lot of steam locomotives. It would be so nice to see a NYC Hudson or Niagara restored and running in excursion service. In fact, I'd even settle for one on static display in a museum.

73's

Ron

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi again,

I rather figured the G would shake you up! (;->) Yup, you have a keen eye E. Ric, it was fuzees.

Ron, sorry to say there haven't been any steam excursions that I know of since C&O 614 ended up rusting away I think in Steamtown. I watched it being rebuilt at New Hope PA and finally caught up at the Tri Transit Expo in Hoboken NJ where I climbed aboard and blew the whistle. Ah, the days of the Reading Rambles are gone but not forgotten and the T-1 that pulled the 1976 Freedom Train sits at the entrance to the B&O Museum in Baltimore.

Speaking of frequencies, I wonder what Marconi used when he experimented with radios in locomotives on the Lackawanna Railroad in Binghamton NY. Now where did that image go? I'll try again.

 

[maalox]

hi. does anybody know the freqs used when the circus enters into nyc.

 

[kb2vxa]

Look up the frequencies in the FCC database. http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp I've never seen them on any web site. Why ask about the city when they're licensed nationwide? BTW, RBB&B used to have hams riding along handling some communications mostly on 2M FM simplex.

Maalox? There must be a hidden meaning I just don't get. (;->)