Amtrak Police

[BigLebowski]

Been in Eastern PA (Harrisburg and Lancaster) for a couple days now, and Amtrak Police is one of the things I typically monitor when I am here.

They are usually pretty chatty on the radio, but I haven't heard a peep out of them this time. Has something changed?

 

[PGHSCANNERWACKER1]

Probably went encrypted I wouldn’t be surprised lol

 

[Floridarailfanning]

Not sure about Amtrak but many of the railroad PDs are using PoC solutions now and only get on VHF when communication with train crews is necessary.

 

[scan-pa]

For PA, NSPD , APD are NXDN with RAN 1, 2, and are now fully ENC. The Conventional NFM APD and NSPD simplex and repeater pairs are still online and available for there use.

 

[BigLebowski]

For PA, NSPD , APD are NXDN with RAN 1, 2, and are now fully ENC. The Conventional NFM APD and NSPD simplex and repeater pairs are still online and available for there use.

I did finally hear APD on Channel B as I was leaving. That's no good...

 

[trentbob]

I'm hearing regular traffic on 161.295 pl 100 that covers the Northeast Corridor from Cornwell Heights to Trenton on the Morrisville repeater dispatched from Philadelphia, It's always important to have the right PL tone or just leave it off and then you'll get all Amtrak police transmissions on 161.295 within range.

 

[BigLebowski]

My experience in the Lancaster area was that traffic was greatly reduced. I did hear some analog on Channel B as I was leaving town.

I can't confirm any NXDN use for Amtrak as I had PL turned on for all their stuff, but that is not encouraging.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Still active:

161.29500

160.36500

114.8 PL

PD Philadelphia

 

[trentbob]

When I turn the pl off and it is on search I get plenty of traffic out of Philly and the mainline. It just so happens the pl tone 100.0 that I listen to from Morrisville is the same as Lancaster and I even pick up Lancaster on a good night.

 

[trentbob]

Just saw your post JMC... same here.

 

[trentbob]

Well I have some news on Amtrak police between Trenton and Cornwell Heights on the Northeast Corridor. There was a major theft in Morrisville yard last week. I read a news story about it.

Amtrak would patrol the yard and the stations between Trenton and Cornwell Heights. They would call in when they arrived at the station or the yard and report clear when they were done patrolling any location. Anyone with a cheap old scanner would be able to hear when they arrived and when they cleared. 2 days after the theft... My local Amtrak police went encrypted. One more bites the dust. LOL

 

[BigLebowski]

Encrypted as in NXDN?

 

[HM1529]

I just had a database submission that was more of a question. The submitter noted hearing a unit talking to dispatch on the normal channel and then heard the unit say they were switching back to "Tac-1". So, I suppose if those of you in the Philly area who have monitored Amtrak PD in the past can pay closer attention....I'm shocked they stayed analog/clear as long as they did.

 

[BigLebowski]

I am a bit surprised that APD did not go P25. I know railroads are going in the (general) direction of NXDN but I would be surprised to see road channels ever go NXDN. I would think APD would want interop with other public safety agencies with the ability to talk to the trains themselves on analog.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I just had a database submission that was more of a question. The submitter noted hearing a unit talking to dispatch on the normal channel and then heard the unit say they were switching back to "Tac-1".

Probably the same user who posted this thread...

 

[trentbob]

So this actually was on the 161.295 pl 100.0 which always came in loud and clear. Very very little traffic as there is only one car that patrols between Morrisville and Cornwell Heights. I might hear a few Transmissions twice a day perhaps so they may be coming out of Philly and not staying in Bucks County.

This section of track is high speed and has its share of regular ongoing suicides, when that happens a team comes out from Philly. There has never been any communication between local police and Amtrak police, they go through the dispatcher.

What I hear is white noise like an open carrier on and off for a few minutes. Probably saying something like out at Bristol station on patrol or something of that nature. And the dispatcher might say okay and that's it. That's all I've ever heard.

In all the years of listening to this frequency I have never heard any reference to Tac 1. Sometimes there would be problems with the repeater and the dispatcher would say I'm calling radio repair and sometimes radio repair would come on and do radio tests with the dispatcher. When a car could not hear Philadelphia they would say I'll call you on the phone. I think they only had one radio. There are VHF car-to-car channels but I've never heard them used out here.

I don't know how nxdn fits in all of this or how they are encrypting the vhf high frequency that uses a PL tone. Is it possible they converted that frequency to a single Channel nxdn and then encrypted?

 

[BigLebowski]

If you are hearing static it sounds like regular DES or DES-XL, but that would require them to be running wideband.

FWIW I always understood 161.205 146.2 to be Tac 1 and I had 160.815 146.2 as Tac 2, but never heard anything on them. I don't live in the area though so my monitoring experience is limited.

 

[Audiodave1]

Caught a piece of a conversation indicating "no delays to report" with a PL of 71.9 Live near the Chesco/Delco/Delaware line. First time I saw that PL. Anyone?

 

[trap5858]

I have never heard a peep on any of the railroad police frequencies but I do routinely listen to SEPTA police and it is amazing to hear what they deal with every minute of the day. No wonder police get frustrated!

 

[BigLebowski]

I have never heard a peep on any of the railroad police frequencies but I do routinely listen to SEPTA police and it is amazing to hear what they deal with every minute of the day. No wonder police get frustrated!

Supposedly SEPTA has 4 channels according to my source there, and they now have APX8000's. I've never been able to monitor them but I rarely get east of Coatesville.