Clean Cab radios in desktop control stands

[N9JIG]

OK, I know the story about Clean Cab radios, set up to be easily swapped out with standardized connections and trays.

What about locomotives with desktop control stands? Do they use the CC radios, more traditional mobile radios or even remote head units?

 

[marcotor]

 

[PJH]

In freight locomotives, they are mounted in the upper control panel. It just swings down and same deal. Only takes a couple of minutes to swap out.

 

[kevin2525]

What a great photo!

 

[radioman2001]

All Clean Cab radios have AAR standardized connectors for antenna, microphone,power and fireman's position. The extra remote control heads if equipped also have standardized connector. As long as the radio follows AAR standards all equipment is swapable. That is you can take an Aerotron remote head and put it on a Moto AAR radio.We have that in some of our Genesis Loco's with Quest CC and Aerotron fireman's position.

I don't know about using a standard mobile radio and it's remote head. They wouldn't follow AAR standards.

 

[N9JIG]

All Clean Cab radios have AAR standardized connectors for antenna, microphone,power and fireman's position. The extra remote control heads if equipped also have standardized connector. As long as the radio follows AAR standards all equipment is swapable. That is you can take an Aerotron remote head and put it on a Moto AAR radio.We have that in some of our Genesis Loco's with Quest CC and Aerotron fireman's position.

I don't know about using a standard mobile radio and it's remote head. They wouldn't follow AAR standards.

Yes, that was what I was trying to figure out. Most railroads in which I have been in the cab of had AAR control stands and CC radios mounted to them. I just didn't know if CC radios were commonly used in newer locomotives with desktop control stands.

The photo that WB6MFT posted appears to be a fairly new Cab Car for a suburban service train. In that photo it looks like they have to remove the dashboard or at least a couple mounting screws to pull the radio.

I do recall a couple shortline railroads using non CC radios like Motorola MaxTrac or GM300 type radios, Kenwood or Icom. Years back I had a ride in a WSOR GP-35 that had a MaxTrac in it with their channels and the channels of the C&NW and Soo/Milw. I suppose they had to have some sort of 12VDC power available for them.

 

[radioman2001]

While this shouldn't be considered a standard, but I know of a number of short lines using Mototrbo mobiles just mounted on top of the dash board. I imagine with a remote kit you can put the head and the radio package anywhere you want. As far as repair access I guess it would depend on where you mount it.

Our M-7 electric cars which use GE/Harris Orion/M7100's mobile radios have the radio package(radio and power supply) mounted in a ceiling cabinet above the engineers position. The old deisel FL-9 locomotives had AAR heads in the dash and Micor mobile radios mounted in the engine bay below the engineer deck, which was a PIA to get at. I think a lot of where the equipment goes depends on the vendor building the car and sometimes has to be based upon where there is room. The M-7 equipment ended up in the ceiling because of future proofing space for PTC. Which is funny since now the PTC stuff is in the ceiling too, and not in an area that was set aside nearly 20 years ago.

Clean Cab standards were nice, but considering the costs of new equipment standard mobile radios are about half the cost. As long as you have a 12 volt supply.