BNSF Railroad Jonesboro Arkansas

[btritch]

I have noticed Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad have been putting up new towers/antenna's on the line that runs thru Jonesboro Arkansas.. they Look like loop antenna's such as UHF/VHF antenna's.. I thought they were microwave link but they look like a VHF loop antenna.. A Pole with two loops, One on each side. Does anyone know if maybe they have some new frequencies for this area?

 

[btritch]

No idea why that posted twice..

 

[icom1020]

Radio "code line". When they tore down the previous telegraph poles that carried the signal code line, something had to replace it. They use various AAR freqs. It sounds like a data burst.

 

[burner50]

Radio "code line". When they tore down the previous telegraph poles that carried the signal code line, something had to replace it. They use various AAR freqs. It sounds like a data burst.

No.


That stuff is all 900Mhz


By "Loop Antenna", are you talking about a folded dipole?

Or an actual Loop antenna?

An antenna is just an antenna... How can you tell they're VHF?


Anyway, the Radioreference.com database AND associated tools is useful to find the type of information you're looking for...


I found a couple of new license grants:

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?cs=KWL487
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?cs=WQNM737

 

[icom1020]

"That stuff is all 900Mhz"

You're thinking UP and their Genesis system.

Nope , not here in the NW. 160.710 is a common BNSF freq and is used by the ATCS folks to monitor control points remotely. There are VHF folded dipoles located every few miles at CP's.

 

[btritch]

No.


That stuff is all 900Mhz


By "Loop Antenna", are you talking about a folded dipole?

Or an actual Loop antenna?

An antenna is just an antenna... How can you tell they're VHF?


Anyway, the Radioreference.com database AND associated tools is useful to find the type of information you're looking for...


I found a couple of new license grants:

FCC Callsign KWL487 Details
FCC Callsign WQNM737 Details

It's the top one...Not the bottome one, I was assuming VHF since they're current frequencies are VHF but I could be wrong. I looked in the RR database and all I found was the old one, I ran out of time looking up the new ones in the FCC database and hadn't got that far yet. They have them about every 3 miles or so down the tracks.. Just went up the last couple of weeks.

 

[burner50]

Are they near signal boxes?

Where I work, they have been installing "silent" dragging equipment detectors at all signals. They talk on defect only.

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[btritch]

Are they near signal boxes?

Where I work, they have been installing "silent" dragging equipment detectors at all signals. They talk on defect only.

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I'm not sure on that. I'll check on that and see. That could very well be

 

[burner50]

"That stuff is all 900Mhz"

You're thinking UP and their Genesis system.

Nope , not here in the NW. 160.710 is a common BNSF freq and is used by the ATCS folks to monitor control points remotely. There are VHF folded dipoles located every few miles at CP's.

The important thing to note here if that they are only at control points. If they are located every couple miles between control points, they are likely not for ATCS

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[timkilbride]

Ptc???

 

[burner50]

Thought that was gonna be more satellite based and on board computing.

I would think ptc would have to be a set standard in case you around up with foreign power.

without knowing the while picture I'm gonna say detector.

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[K4DHR]

They are antennas for ARES, the ATCS protocol BNSF uses. Unlike standards ATCS, Genisys, etc., it is VHF and not 900MHz. That said, those control points can usually be received from a much greater distance than their 900MHz counterparts.

I'll have to go look at some of the signal bungalows (I live 4-5 miles from the BNSF Birmingham Sub) and see if there is any sign of them installing PTC along the line.

 

[K4DHR]

double post

 

[btritch]

ARES? ACTS? Genesis? Any of that worth monitoring?

 

[icom1020]

Not really, it could tell you in a remote area that a train went by the control point as long as you weren't hearing the next CP on the same freq for a different train. I can hear the BNSF ones 10-20 miles away since they are licensed for 30 watts or so. BTW, FRED freqs have been granted an increase in power from 2 to 8 watts with a software upgrade on certain models.

 

[btritch]

Ok. I live on the UP line.. I can hear the CP's here and they use the same freq for them that their Dispatch uses, I can hear BNSF dispatchers on my handheld and I'm over 25 miles from their lines..But haven't heard a CP.

 

[icom1020]

The DTMF wouldn't be in use for CP's like it is on the road channels. Its more of a data burst

 

[btritch]

The DTMF wouldn't be in use for CP's like it is on the road channels. Its more of a data burst

These I hear with UP, For instance the closest one to me.. I can hear now and again is right down the road from my grandma, I know evertime a train is coming by there before it gets to us, lol, It's a Mile Post Detector Operating on 160.320 MHZ, The same as their main line dispatcher (Dispatcher 16) and it'll come on and say UP Detector Mile Post 96.7 on the engine.. Then it'll repeat at the end with the same and add No Defects, Total Axles XXXX Train Speed XX Current Temperature XXX Detector Out..I've heard a few of these and couldn't believe they were on the same as the main line dispatch. However I have noticed UP has put up new antenna's. They're all Aimed up towards the North down the tracks. they look like a directional antenna of some sort but I don't really know.. 900 MHZ maybe. they have one here by me and two downtown.. they're kind of like |> shaped or something, Like a triangle type thing. I'll try to get a pic of one if you guys need one. these just went up a few months ago..

 

[burner50]

If these are really every couple of miles, unless they are around a major yard with power switches, I seriously doubt they would be for atcs. Most areas don't have control points every couple miles, just in certain areas, and ATCS doesn't control every signal, just the control points, the rest of the signaling system is just regular ABS.

A picture of the area around one of these antennas would help put this to bed.

Also, a detector is not a control point, and a control point is not a detector. Additionally, many detectors are set to talk on defect only, so just because you don't hear a detector doesn't mean it isn't there.

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[btritch]

They're not at yards. One was at a crossing.. I'll see if I can get a photo of one of them this weekend.