Go Transit

[newtoscanning]

Hello,

Just a quick question about Go's new system.

Last night i was on a train and a GO employee had an HT1250 (or mtx 9250) with a VHF antenna.

I was under the impression that the new go system was 400 or 800 mhz. I looked and sure enough in the DB it says it's a 400mhz system.

So my question is why was a GO employee on a train (lakeshore east line) carrying this radio.

Thanks!

 

[ve3tej]

The locomotives have 2 radio systems installed. One is uhf and the other is vhf, the uhf is the Go system. The vhf is railroad system and the person you probally seen was the conductor.

The conductor communicates with the locomotive engineer through vhf or the internal pa system.

All railroad employess monitor the designated standby channel witch normally is ch1 on CN rail.

 

[eburns]

GO Transit

Good Info.

I was also listening to the new GO system, and was wondering where the
GO security officers could be heard. So far I havn't heard them on the trunked
system.

thanks Ed.

 

[exkalibur]

Just to add to that;

GO Trains are operated under contract to CN Rail. As such, every employee you see working on a GO Train (with exceptions being GO ticket collectors and Special Constables) are CN Rail employees. They all use VHF radios, typically staying on 161.415. The only UHF on a GO Train is the radio in the locomotive and the cab car.

You'll find the GO Special Constables on the Bell "10-4" system. I imagine they have access to the UHF system, but their own internal communications all happen on the 10-4 service.

 

[Chrome69]

Just to add to that;

GO Trains are operated under contract to CN Rail. As such, every employee you see working on a GO Train (with exceptions being GO ticket collectors and Special Constables) are CN Rail employees. They all use VHF radios, typically staying on 161.415. The only UHF on a GO Train is the radio in the locomotive and the cab car.

You'll find the GO Special Constables on the Bell "10-4" system. I imagine they have access to the UHF system, but their own internal communications all happen on the 10-4 service.

Isn't Security using talkgroup 23 on the UHF system? Thats whats listed on the DB...

 

[newtoscanning]

Just to add to that;

GO Trains are operated under contract to CN Rail. As such, every employee you see working on a GO Train (with exceptions being GO ticket collectors and Special Constables) are CN Rail employees. They all use VHF radios, typically staying on 161.415. The only UHF on a GO Train is the radio in the locomotive and the cab car.

You'll find the GO Special Constables on the Bell "10-4" system. I imagine they have access to the UHF system, but their own internal communications all happen on the 10-4 service.

So if the train operators, security, and police are all on different channels, then why did GO spend the $ to put the system in if no one was planning on using it?

 

[eburns]

GO Transit

Thanks for the info!

When I listen to the talk group number 4, "train yard OPS", Does anyone know what
yard we are hearing? They are usually moving train cars around.

Ed.

 

[exkalibur]

Thanks for the info!
When I listen to the talk group number 4, "train yard OPS", Does anyone know what
yard we are hearing? They are usually moving train cars around.

There are a few GO Train yards - Willowbrook, Bathurst North, Don, Georgetown & Guelph Junction. It could be any of those.

 

[exkalibur]

So if the train operators, security, and police are all on different channels, then why did GO spend the $ to put the system in if no one was planning on using it?

Because they could?

As someone else pointed out, each GO Train (locomotive and cab-car) has a UHF Astro radio on the new system in addition to a VHF Rail radio. Canadian Railway Operation Rules (or whatever it's called) says that trains must have a stand-by channel that is used by all other power being used on that line. Because GO Trains run on CN & CP lines, they must have a VHF radio in them as well.

Comms going over the VHF radio are related to train operations such as clearances and GBOs and such. Comms going over the UHF system are related to GO operations such as scheduling, equipment problems, etc...

I am just assuming here, but since this new system has been on the air, I imagine maybe GO Specials will be swapping out their 10-4 phones for system radios. Then again, it is a heck of a lot easier for them to just carry a phone, rather than a phone and a radio. Considering the nature of their comms, a 10-4 phone would probably do the job nicely.

 

[mrweather]

So GO constables are on 10-4, eh? I thought they used iDEN.

Also to clarify, the GO Milton line uses CP trackage so their VHF would be 161.475.

 

[newtoscanning]

Equipment

Hate to bring up an old thread but...

What kind of equipment does the go transit guys use?

Since it's APCO 25 I presume something in the XTS and XTL series, or does /\/\ have something else out on the market that can do APCO 25?

Thanks!

 

[VA3DBJ]

I heard a conversation by two techs that it looks like the security will be forced to drop the 10-4 when the contract expires. They are supposed to be testing the train routes using just HT's to see where they have to improve. From the way they were talking, the contract is up very soon.

On yesterday mornings Lakeshore E run into Union. There were 3 white shirts getting on the 7:23 train and one of them did have a UHF HT on her belt.

Also GO has also built a new storage area for their trains on the south-east side of Union. Last week there were 4 GO vans parked outside the new building.

 

[VE3RADIO]

So if the train operators, security, and police are all on different channels, then why did GO spend the $ to put the system in if no one was planning on using it?

Because the signal is rock solid and the majority of the system use is by the GO Bus drivers... trust me i monitor this system close.. those drivers deliver the best traffic reports in Southern Ontario. I used to commute from Hamilton Mountain to Midtown Toronto every day for work before i moved to Mississauga.. they saved me a ton of time i would have spent sitting in traffic.. and gas savings as well.