Union Pacific Realigns Frequency Use On Sherman Hill

[Mojaveflyer]

I was up chasing the Cheyenne Frontier Days Passenger special led by UP 844, a steam engine that has been out of service for 3 years for a major overhaul. I was puzzled because I was not hearing any radio traffic on AAR Channel 24 (160.470 MHz) but heard a lot of traffic on AAR Channel 27, 160.515 MHz. Typically, Channel 27 is used east of Cheyenne and coming west out of Cheyenne AAR 24 was used.

I wandered around a little after the passenger got into Cheyenne and then turned the train on the wye at Speer. I went up to Granite, west of Cheyenne, and found a sign directing crews to go to AR 24 west of Granite... Mystery solved! I'm guessing it has something to do with consolidation of dispatcher territories because of the economic downturn from last fall.

The photo below is of the UP 844 coming onto the Transcon mainline at Speer from the Greeley Sub.

 

[Mojaveflyer]

Here's a shot of teh sign for train crews at Grante showing the channel change for west bounds.

 

[N5TWB]

Great photo of the Frontier Days special - I got to see 844 during an Oklahoma Centennial special visit in 2007 and it was impressive.

Good note on the frequency changes in the area. I was just up there a couple of weeks ago for a family funeral and was wondering when the rodeo was scheduled.

 

[engineercarl]

I'm curious about the *18 on the second line. Do cab radios (or any RR Radio for that matter) have direct access to PL/CTCSS?

 

[Nasby]

I believe the *18 is the tone used for keying up the dispatcher.

The crew would press the "*" key followed by "1, 8" on their DTMF radio pad to tone up the dispatcher via remote wayside radio station.

 

[kevin2525]

Great photos!

 

[KB3KBR]

any idea what that siren/speaker with blue light on the pole is?

 

[KenFL9]

The blue light and siren

If maintenance of Way has track and time to work at that location they activate the protection system. If a locomotive or rail car violates the perimeter while the system is turned on the blue light and siren activate to warn the M of W personnel.