What frequencies do the railroads use now days?
- Thread starter kc0bus
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Most railroads are switching to NXDN digital. I recommend the Uniden scanner models over the Whistler models. The Whistler models don't follow the NXDN control channels & scans them as conventional. I recommend either the BCD536HP, BCD436HP, or the new SDS100 as they will actually trunk NXDN.
I regret selling my BCD536HP as my Whistler TRX-2 misses quite a few NXDN calls, even my discriminator tapped BC898T with DSDPlus does better than the TRX for NXDN.
A cheap alternative to buying a scanner would be to get two SDR USB dongles & use them with DSDPlus. Both Nooelec & rtl-sdr branded ones work well & are cheap. You would need a desktop or laptop PC to run the software though. Good luck!
I regret selling my BCD536HP as my Whistler TRX-2 misses quite a few NXDN calls, even my discriminator tapped BC898T with DSDPlus does better than the TRX for NXDN.
A cheap alternative to buying a scanner would be to get two SDR USB dongles & use them with DSDPlus. Both Nooelec & rtl-sdr branded ones work well & are cheap. You would need a desktop or laptop PC to run the software though. Good luck!
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Railroads aren't using trunking or control channels over the road, so that's a moot point. The NXDN is point to point, and mobile to remote station and vice versa, just like the analog radios are setup. This may differ in controlled environments such as major railyards, but I haven't heard of any yet.
Also, a lot of regionals and shortlines are using DMR, IP connect.
Also, a lot of regionals and shortlines are using DMR, IP connect.
"Most railroads are switching" is a very broad brush. Better to say "Most railroads will be switching to NXDN digital, eventually. . ." Yes, many railroads have some limited use of NXDN, but so far there's no sign of it happening on a wide scale and no real timetable known for it to happen. Making the switch is going to be such a big project that word would get out.
As far as the Whistler radios, they do trunk track NXDN systems; they just do it in a different way than the Uniden models. I've personally found them both to work equally well on NXDN, and have never had an issue "trunk tracking" the local NXDN systems around here. . . even though the Whistler radios do it differently.
And the trunking issue is mostly a moot point for NXDN on the railroads, as the vast majority of uses are (or will be) conventional, not trunked. While some railroads are or may be using NXDN trunking for operations at large yards, for a variety of reasons it's pretty unlikely that it would be used outside a major yard.
To the OP - any basic scanner that covers the VHF band is capable of scanning the railroad frequencies between 160.215 and 161.565 MHz. To get started, find yourself an inexpensive little radio and see what you can accomplish before spending big bucks on a digital-ready scanner.
In reply to what wa8pyr & RRR has said, I only brought up the trunking point just in case the OP ever wants to later in the future monitor anything that's trunked such as police or a business. It would be better to have a scanner that properly trunks NXDN.
I hear the BC125AT scanner is very good for railroad listening, however it's not NXDN. I would just buy an older scanner & do a discriminator tap & use DSDPlus.
I hear the BC125AT scanner is very good for railroad listening, however it's not NXDN. I would just buy an older scanner & do a discriminator tap & use DSDPlus.
On the subject of scanners/receivers: The Icom IC-R30 receives NXDN out of the box and along with its fast scanning rate and excellent sensitivity/selectivity on VHF (and other bands), I'm finding it to be an excellent choice for monitoring railroads.
To answer the original question in simple terms... The AAR group of common channels consists of approximately 100 VHF frequencies. A few years ago, additional interstitial (in-between) channels were authorized but have not been widely implemented as yet. While other uses might exist for specific situations as discussed (yards, RRPD, etc), the vast majority of railroad operations still utilize conventional analog mode that can be monitored with nearly any scanner.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
I'll reinforce what others have said. Most railroad operations are in the 160-162 MHz range using analog FM narrowband. In some specific situations, encryption is being used such as by railroad police and, in some specific situations, NXDN or DMR is being used for localized operations. You can start with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) channel plan found in the RadioReference database here: https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=7747 From there, check the railroad listings for your state or county in the RadioReference database. You can also Google railfan web sites for your area or railroad of interest as railfan web sites sometimes list frequencies of interest.
Good advice.
This came up in a conversation I was involved with just last night. We were talking about the current and future crop of high-end digital scanners. I pointed out that since most of my scanning outside the amateur radio bands is railroads, I don't really need a high-end scanner right now. I generally use my VHF FM amateur radio transceivers to monitor railroad traffic and they do just fine for now.
For the rest of you, the topic of NXDN or DMR use by the railroads comes up from time to time and it usually devolves into a "yes they are" vs. "no they aren't" debate which is really unnecessary. If you have direct knowledge of railroads using digital voice in your area, please make a submission to the RadioReference database so it can be kept up-to-date.
Among other things, I program radios for a handful of Railroads, and I know for a fact that digital modes are used, and in what instances, that I am involved with (as far as interoperability). I will agree that "mainline dispatching" or "Mainline communication" for trains with NXDN on class 1's is probably not being used right now, as far as I am aware, but for regionals and shortlines, there are digital modes, and I am aware of at least one class one using NXDN on a wide basis, outside the AAR band, for "other" communications, and several shortlnes using business band frequencies. All narrowband, of course.
But I am not at liberty to divulge this information to any database. If this lends someone to doubt my credibility, so be it. I won't lose any sleep over it. All I can say is, keep your scanner searching, which we all should be doing anyway.
But I am not at liberty to divulge this information to any database. If this lends someone to doubt my credibility, so be it. I won't lose any sleep over it. All I can say is, keep your scanner searching, which we all should be doing anyway.
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CaptDan
Member
Up until a couple of months ago I was able to listen to both CSX and Florida Northern trains hauling coal out to the Duke Energy Power Plant at Red Level, Florida on 160.5900.
I could also hear them operating at the coal plant and communicating with plant personnel as they unloaded the coal.
Suddenly - radio silence - don;t hear a peep from them any more. The trains are still running, just no radio traffic on 160.5900
I could also hear them operating at the coal plant and communicating with plant personnel as they unloaded the coal.
Suddenly - radio silence - don;t hear a peep from them any more. The trains are still running, just no radio traffic on 160.5900
This is one of my go-to pages for info about CSX dispatcher territories, operating divisions, and radio frequencies. The link should take you to the Jacksonville Division. Maybe they moved to a different frequency.
CSX Dispatcher Desk Codes
CaptDan
Member
Thank you !
Dan
Dan
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