MDC on AMTRAK

[BabaDude77]

I’m in the New London CT area and we have a pretty active rail line that comes through the city with mostly AMTRAK. My question is I have heard the MDC on transmissions off and on and was wondering if there is a system for radio numbers if they coin side with the trains number or they are just random as I was going to start logging them when heard. Thanks

 

[kb1kvd]

I would think Amtrak has a log of them in a database that the communication department would have. In my department we assign MDC based off the issued property of the radio or vehicle number. We only use the MDC for logging purpose to find the bad actors on the railroad and it has come in handy in finding the person who was playing a bugle over the radio in Widett.

 

[BabaDude77]

So train number 123 isnt necessarily MDC number 123 then. I would think that would make it easier for those doing the dispatching and directing to see who they are talking to?

 

[kb1kvd]

Dispatchers don't really care about the MDC numbers being displayed on their radio screen, most times they aren't even looking at their radio consoles. All the stuff the dispatcher is concerned about is on their respective model board. Plus railroads tend to swap loco radios between equipment frequently due to broken radios and locos in the shop for service. The amount of time it would take to have the radio tech pull the radio read it down change the MDC, bench it to make sure it works and then reinstall the radio could potentially delay a train.

 

[kb1kvd]

Train ID on the model board is handled as part of the ARINC or AMTEC system. Which take the live track data from the signal system and feeds it into the code servers and displays it on the model board. That system has nothing to do with voice radio and is generally carried back to the dispatch back office via fiber from the wayside equipment.

 

[BabaDude77]

Gotcha , I’ve never really listened to rail so this is all good info into understanding how everything works. In my area there only seems to be 1 rail channel thats active does that sound accurate is there anything else you would suggest programming in?

 

[kb1kvd]

There's a lot behind the scenes that goes on in the railroad. I'm not sure the exact area that you're in but Amtrak road 054 (160.920), Amtrak PD 079 (161.295), Metro North New Haven East 015 (160.335), Metro North New Haven West 029 (160.545) would probably be good starts to program into your radio.

Connecticut Railroad - Scan New England Wiki

www.snewiki.com

 

[ecps92]

There's a lot behind the scenes that goes on in the railroad. I'm not sure the exact area that you're in but Amtrak road 054 (160.920), Amtrak PD 079 (161.295), Metro North New Haven East 015 (160.335), Metro North New Haven West 029 (160.545) would probably be good starts to program into your radio.

Connecticut Railroad - Scan New England Wiki

www.snewiki.com

Speaking of the SNE Wiki - many of the Amtrak PD channels - need a good listening to to validate they still exist

 

[Kitn1mcc]

Also not all the equipment uses MDC all the kawasaki m8s use g star seeing how they have harris radios and MNR used both MDC and G star

amtrak police still use AAR 79 for now plans for them to get on the CLMRN

also the valley AAR 39 ch1 160.695 and AAR 8 160.230

 

[sefrischling]

Speaking of the SNE Wiki - many of the Amtrak PD channels - need a good listening to to validate they still exist

Remove the PL, Amtrak PD is all on one frequency in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Different patrol areas have different PLs.

I confirm the PL for New London, Clinton, New Haven, Hartford, Westerly and Providence are correct.

 

[Paul-W]

I don’t know if such a thing exists, but is there a way to track Amtrak and freight rail lines similar to how airline flights are tracked on Flightradar24?

 

[RT48]

Amtrak trains can be tracked here:

Amtrak Track Your Train Map

www.amtrak.com

 

[AK9R]

Amtrak trains can be tracked here:

And, here: Intercity Rail Map

And, here: https://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps/

 

[HM1529]

I don’t know if such a thing exists, but is there a way to track Amtrak and freight rail lines similar to how airline flights are tracked on Flightradar24?

For freight, not so much. The major freight RR's used to use terrestrial RF tech (ATCS) that was publicly monitorable and that folks had developed programs to decode and display the data. Much of that is moving or has moved to satellite based tech that nobody has figured out a way to monitor (if it's even possible). ATCS and tracking train movements? - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms

There is still some ATCS monitoring possible across the country, but less and less as tech shifts.

 

[Paul-W]

Amtrak trains can be tracked here:

Amtrak Track Your Train Map

www.amtrak.com

Thanks for the info.

 

[Paul-W]

And, here: Intercity Rail Map

And, here: Amtrak Status Maps

Thanks for the info.

 

[Paul-W]

For freight, not so much. The major freight RR's used to use terrestrial RF tech (ATCS) that was publicly monitorable and that folks had developed programs to decode and display the data. Much of that is moving or has moved to satellite based tech that nobody has figured out a way to monitor (if it's even possible). ATCS and tracking train movements? - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms

There is still some ATCS monitoring possible across the country, but less and less as tech shifts.

For freight, not so much. The major freight RR's used to use terrestrial RF tech (ATCS) that was publicly monitorable and that folks had developed programs to decode and display the data. Much of that is moving or has moved to satellite based tech that nobody has figured out a way to monitor (if it's even possible). ATCS and tracking train movements? - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms

There is still some ATCS monitoring possible across the country, but less and less as tech shifts.

Thanks for the info. Going to satellites is similar to local transit systems using GPS tracking to monitor and manage their fleets.