Chicago Area Railroad Database Updates?

[That_Radio_Geek]

I've been looking at the listings for Chicago railroads, and have noticed some things.

1. The frequency 160.305 is not just for Amtrak operations. All of the railroad ops into and out of the south gates/south concourse at Union Station happen there.

2. The frequency for the Metra Milwaukee District North line is also the general frequency for Union Station North Concourse operations into and out of that concourse.

3. The database is missing Metra frequencies for BNSF passenger ops, Metra UPN ops, Metra UPNW and UPW ops as well. I've discovered each of these lines has two frequencies: A road frequency and a dispatch frequency.

BNSF Dispatch: 160.4150 with road 161.1000.

UPN road 160.650 with Dispatch 160.545.

UPW/UPNW share 160.410 on road, and UPNW/UPW share Dispatch 161.475.

I also want to note that those who listen to the MD-W line while riding, or while around Union Station and between Union Station and Western Ave, you should be listening to 160.770. The crew of the MD-W switches frequencies to the MD-W frequency just after Western Ave.

 

[ChicagoRadio736]

I monitor MD-W and I usually have them on their regular frequency not 160.7700 and I hear the same traffic on my radio and their portables sitting in the station all the way to Bensenville. I will try these new frequencies today.

 

[Radio99]

Are you sure about 160.415 being the BNSF frequency? That is not a standard railroad channel. It lies between Channel 020 (160.410) and Channel 021 (160.425).

Frequency 161.475 is Channel 091 and is the dispatcher channel for the CN Leithton and Waukegan Subdivisions. Highly unlikely the UP would be using this for their dispatch channel. I am currently hearing the CN Dispatcher on this channel.

I am currently hearing the UP West Line Dispatcher on Channel 052 (160.890)

I am currently hearing the UP North Line Dispatcher on Channel 062 (161.040)

I am currently hearing the UP Northwest Line Dispatcher on Channel 080 (161.310)

 

[That_Radio_Geek]

Are you sure about 160.415 being the BNSF frequency? That is not a standard railroad channel. It lies between Channel 020 (160.410) and Channel 021 (160.425).

Frequency 161.475 is Channel 091 and is the dispatcher channel for the CN Leithton and Waukegan Subdivisions. Highly unlikely the UP would be using this for their dispatch channel. I am currently hearing the CN Dispatcher on this channel.

I am currently hearing the UP West Line Dispatcher on Channel 052 (160.890)

I am currently hearing the UP North Line Dispatcher on Channel 062 (161.040)

I am currently hearing the UP Northwest Line Dispatcher on Channel 080 (161.310)

Looks like I somehow goofed on the frequencies. I won't second guess what someone's ears are hearing. Thanks for the correction. Bottom line is that BNSF, and all the UP lines are missing from the railroad listings on the site here for Chicago Area Railroads.

 

[ecps92]

Looks like I somehow goofed on the frequencies. I won't second guess what someone's ears are hearing. Thanks for the correction. Bottom line is that BNSF, and all the UP lines are missing from the railroad listings on the site here for Chicago Area Railroads.

Since the Railroads are statewide, they were/are found there.

Illinois Railroads (Illinois) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Illinois Railroads (Illinois)

www.radioreference.com

 

[That_Radio_Geek]

Since the Railroads are statewide, they were/are found there.

Illinois Railroads (Illinois) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Illinois Railroads (Illinois)

www.radioreference.com

I see how they listed everything now! So, what happened was that when I was looking explicitly at the listings at that link you gave for Metra lines, I thought they would have listed the BNSF passenger ops along with the UP and UPNW passenger ops with the Metra listings. They instead listed BNSF and the UP lines separately under the appropriate subs. I can see doing that for freight ops, but when there are passenger ops run by Metra....why not put those ops with the Metra listings?

 

[EAFrizzle]

I wonder if they could be using channel 120? That would cause a lot of scanners to read .415 instead of .410.

 

[ChicagoRadio736]

I see how they listed everything now! So, what happened was that when I was looking explicitly at the listings at that link you gave for Metra lines, I thought they would have listed the BNSF passenger ops along with the UP and UPNW passenger ops with the Metra listings. They instead listed BNSF and the UP lines separately under the appropriate subs. I can see doing that for freight ops, but when there are passenger ops run by Metra....why not put those ops with the Metra listings?

So, you kind of answered a question I had for the longest. I've always wondered If all the trains switch to a common channel pulling into and out of Union station or if they all stayed on their assigned channel and Union Station monitored all the channels.

 

[That_Radio_Geek]

So, you kind of answered a question I had for the longest. I've always wondered If all the trains switch to a common channel pulling into and out of Union station or if they all stayed on their assigned channel and Union Station monitored all the channels.

Here's what I've noticed: On the CUS North Concourse/North Tracks, including the tracks at Fulton & Canal everyone is on the MD-N frequency. On the south tracks and south concourse, 160.305 is where everyone is at, including Amtrak gate operations.

I know there's a CUS Yard Master at either end of the station with a radio, and I've never been able to figure out what freq/freqs they're on. Not sure how many Yard Masters there are.

 

[Awesomeman92]

On the CUS North Concourse/North Tracks, including the tracks at Fulton & Canal everyone is on the MD-N frequency. On the south tracks and south concourse, 160.305 is where everyone is at, including Amtrak gate operations.

Unless something has changed very recently, Amtrak uses 13 on both sides and refers to it as "home." When I took the Empire Builder a couple years ago we stayed on 44 until somewhere right before Halsted then changed to 13 for the rest of the way in. If I remember right, leaving we stayed on 13 until the gate was locked and we were lined out of the station then went to 44. Metra stays on 44 the whole way, but the Amtrak timetable that governs CUS requires all trains operating in their territory to maintain an ear on 13 - at least it used to. But if you hear an Amtrak crew calling to "go home" on the radio, they're switching to 13.

When I took the SW Chief 15 years ago 13 was also used out on the road as a talkaround channel for the crew away from the normal road channel. When I took the Builder they didn't do this, so I don't know if they still do this anywhere or not.

 

[ChicagoRadio736]

Can someone explain road vs dispatch channels?

 

[AK9R]

Dispatch channels exist so dispatchers can give orders without interference from defect detectors, signal calling, and switching operations that might be occurring on the Road channel. Dispatch channels are usually recorded.

 

[ChicagoRadio736]

Dispatch channels exist so dispatchers can give orders without interference from defect detectors and switching operations that might be occurring on the Road channel. Dispatch channels are usually recorded.

So, I take it the conductors on the Metra lines collecting tickets are monitoring the road channel and the engineer driving the train is monitoring the road and dispatch channels.

 

[AK9R]

My experience with freight trains and Amtrak trains is the conductor and engineer are both monitoring the road channel. The dispatcher can call the train crew on the road channel. If the dispatcher has orders for them, he'll ask the crew to temporarily move to the dispatcher channel.

 

[Awesomeman92]

This is correct. Crews stay on road unless they have a reason to go elsewhere.

I also want to note that those who listen to the MD-W line while riding, or while around Union Station and between Union Station and Western Ave, you should be listening to 160.770. The crew of the MD-W switches frequencies to the MD-W frequency just after Western Ave.

To clarify, outbound trains stay on 44 until they determine they are routed onto the Elgin Sub. This is usually right after the stop at Western Avenue. For inbounds, it’s the opposite. Once they determine they are routed onto the C&M Sub they switch from 94 to 44. This is usually right after the stop at Grand/Cicero. The technical change point is Tower A5 (the end of the Elgin Sub) but once they confirm they have a signal at A5 they make the change.

44 is also used around Bensenville for the Bryn Mawr cut off, as that is part of the C&M Sub per the timetable. It doesn’t get used much as typically trains talk to B17 on 94 then immediately switch to the UP on 62 (or the opposite for southbounds), but if the local is working that short stretch and needs to open a lock you’ll hear them working the C&M dispatcher on the Bensenville tower on 44.