How do RR determine what frequencies they will use system wide?

[rrman987]

I have noticed that UP seems to "own"(I realize that probably not right term) certain frequencies and name them Road 1, Road 2, Yard 1, Dispatch., for the most part systemwide Of course where UP does not go, other RR are free to use those frequencies if it does not interfere.
So who set up these allocation gentleman frequency agreements, or was it just a case things just worked out this way.

 

[ai8o]

RR radio frequencies and usage areas are co-ordinated by the AAR ( American Association of Railroads).

AAR Technical Services

aar.com

They are the only FCC approved frequency co-ordinator for RR radio usage.

The FCC issues licenses to RRs only after frequency coordination by the AAR.

 

[rrman987]

RR radio frequencies and usage areas are co-ordinated by the AAR ( American Association of Railroads).

AAR Technical Services

aar.com

They are the only FCC approved frequency co-ordinator for RR radio usage.

The FCC issues licenses to RRs only after frequency coordination by the AAR.

Thank you, I wondered if AAR had a hand in this.

 

[chief21]

I have noticed that UP seems to "own"(I realize that probably not right term) certain frequencies and name them Road 1, Road 2, Yard 1, Dispatch., for the most part systemwide

I would note that RR frequencies are not typically used "systemwide". In most cases, they are usually assigned by geographic districts and it would not be unusual for a long-distance train to change road frequencies several times during its run.

 

[BigLebowski]

Keep in mind that alot of use of 2-4 common channels systemwide (which is getting less common), such as 160.950 being the road channel for ALL of the former Southern Railway goes back to the days of crystal-controlled railroad radios only having 4 or 8 channels.

 

[wa8pyr]

Keep in mind that alot of use of 2-4 common channels systemwide (which is getting less common), such as 160.950 being the road channel for ALL of the former Southern Railway goes back to the days of crystal-controlled railroad radios only having 4 or 8 channels.

And there were fewer users. The primary use back then was road and dispatcher communications, and some yard communications; yards still used hand signals quite a bit. That would never work today, what with trains getting longer and longer.

 

[03msc]

Hopefully the above was helpful to you.

I'll add a few things:

1) No railroad owns frequencies. They get assigned them (as already mentioned).
2) They can call them whatever they want internally. Road 1, Maintenance 1, Yard 6, Dispatch, whatever; much like Walmart can call MURS 1 as channel 3 if they want. They're still using MURS 1, though, just like the railroad is still using AAR 0xx.
3) AAR may coordinate many of the same 'channels' to certain RRs (UP, in your example) but it isn't a certainty.