EOT Devices

[iscanvnc2]

Are they on Amtrak?

 

[Tim-B]

The Sunset Limited passes through my hometown and I have only been watching for the past year or so but I have never seen a FRED on the back of an Amtrak train (or received a signal on that frequency) nor have I heard a signal from an HOTD when Amtrak passes. Only the freight trains that pass through here have them.
On a side note if you are tuning into the FRED frequency of 457.9375 to give you notice of a train coming then you will have better results with the HOTD frequency of 452.9375. It will be much closer to you since it is at the head of the train and it seems to transmit with more power. I sometimes hear the HOTD up to five minutes before the train arrives in rural environments.

 

[AK9R]

If all Amtrak cars have an air gauge so the crew can monitor train line pressure, then I wonder if an EOT is necessary. All Amtrak cars I've seen have red lights on the ends of the coaches, so that function of an EOT is covered.

 

[OpSec]

Are they on Amtrak?

Nope.

 

[wa8pyr]

If all Amtrak cars have an air gauge so the crew can monitor train line pressure, then I wonder if an EOT is necessary. All Amtrak cars I've seen have red lights on the ends of the coaches, so that function of an EOT is covered.

Last time I was on an Amtrak train I recall seeing air gauges in several cars.

I've never seen a FRED on an Amtrak train unless it was a train of hospital cases headed for the shop at Beech Grove.

 

[iscanvnc2]

Thanks OpSec.
Case closed.

 

[IC-R20]

The Sunset Limited passes through my hometown and I have only been watching for the past year or so but I have never seen a FRED on the back of an Amtrak train (or received a signal on that frequency) nor have I heard a signal from an HOTD when Amtrak passes. Only the freight trains that pass through here have them.
On a side note if you are tuning into the FRED frequency of 457.9375 to give you notice of a train coming then you will have better results with the HOTD frequency of 452.9375. It will be much closer to you since it is at the head of the train and it seems to transmit with more power. I sometimes hear the HOTD up to five minutes before the train arrives in rural environments.

I just use the rail search feature on the BCT15x. In addition to the 160 voice frequencies it also covers those 450MHz one too and is fast enough at sweeping through all the channels so I can listen out for both and any voice traffic at the same time. The 436hp also did it but the sensitivity is terrible even when I popped a 5/8 wave telescopic on there.

 

[K6CDO]

Are they on Amtrak?

Yes. The Auto Train (#52 and #53) daily between Lorton VA and Sanford FL has FREDs at the end of the train behind the Autoracks.
In addition, occasionally the long distance trains will have a FRED on passenger cars that are deadheading at the rear of the train (one on the Southwest Chief [#3] as it passed through Ft. Madison IA and La Plata MO last month).

 

[N9JIG]

Yes. The Auto Train (#52 and #53) daily between Lorton VA and Sanford FL has FREDs at the end of the train behind the Autoracks.
In addition, occasionally the long distance trains will have a FRED on passenger cars that are deadheading at the rear of the train (one on the Southwest Chief [#3] as it passed through Ft. Madison IA and La Plata MO last month).

I too have seen them on the Chief and Sunset thru Arizona as well as a couple other trains. I suspect they were on unoccupied deadhead coaches like K6CDO states except they are the norm on the AutoTrain since the cars at the end of the train are unoccupied.

I was unable to tell at the time whether they were Amtrak or host railroad supplied units, I will try to check on that the next time I see one.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

Some locals use a flag for an EOT.