Metro North New Haven CT Line Question

[N1SQB]

I am wondering if anyone on here who is familiar with the Metro North Railroad New Haven Line can answer a question for me.
I am familiar with all the comms from grand central terminal up to New Haven yard. What I have always wondered is the the split from Bridgeport of the Waterbury line. Is there any radio communication taking place on that line? If so, what channel/frequency? It seems like a long way to travel from Bridgeport to Waterbury without any comms. Just curious if anyone can answer this for me. There have been a few fatalities on that line is the not so distant past. Do they just pull out a phone and call it in?

Manny

 

[Rq17954z]

I am wondering if anyone on here who is familiar with the Metro North Railroad New Haven Line can answer a question for me.
I am familiar with all the comms from grand central terminal up to New Haven yard. What I have always wondered is the the split from Bridgeport of the Waterbury line. Is there any radio communication taking place on that line? If so, what channel/frequency? It seems like a long way to travel from Bridgeport to Waterbury without any comms. Just curious if anyone can answer this for me. There have been a few fatalities on that line is the not so distant past. Do they just pull out a phone and call it in?

Manny

One reason I First bought my scanner because I always wanted to know why the the train was blowing the whistle at 2:00 am in the morning . I Live close to the tracks. They don't seem to use radio much never found out why they are doing that. But when a large old industrial building was burning this summer in naugatuck the fire department requested they stop the train because I guess there was lots of people on the train tracks watching the fire being put out . That's was one time I heard a broadcast think it was this frequency 160.2825 ch 111 but I really don't monitor it now because I never heard anything usually!

 

[N1SQB]

One reason I First bought my scanner because I always wanted to know why the the train was blowing the whistle at 2:00 am in the morning . I Live close to the tracks. They don't seem to use radio much never found out why they are doing that. But when a large old industrial building was burning this summer in naugatuck the fire department requested they stop the train because I guess there was lots of people on the train tracks watching the fire being put out . That's was one time I heard a broadcast think it was this frequency 160.2825 ch 111 but I really don't monitor it now because I never heard anything usually!

Just curious, what exactly did you hear? Train calling RTC or RTC calling them? A few months back a train struck and killed someone in Ansonia just in from the Division ST crossing. Everybody involved with the rail service was there but no two-way rail comms. Now, my thing is this, that train struck a pedestrian, how did they notify RTC? That is what I am after. I mean, say it happens in a rural part of the valley, again, how is RTC notified? HMMM....

Manny

 

[Rq17954z]

As I said it was awhile back, but first heard the fire department requested to shut down the train service on the fire frequency . I remember hearing I believe the dispatch notified the train. Think they end up with someone walking the train through that section of track. I probably didn't get it all because they had a lot going on and couldn't listen to two frequencies at the same time

 

[N1SQB]

As I said it was awhile back, but first heard the fire department requested to shut down the train service on the fire frequency . I remember hearing I believe the dispatch notified the train. Think they end up with someone walking the train through that section of track. I probably didn't get it all because they had a lot going on and couldn't listen to two frequencies at the same time

Fair enough. I will monitor that frequency here in Ansonia.

 

[cbehr91]

According to everything I've read the Waterbury Branch uses Metro-North channel 4, which is 160.335 MHz (analog NFM). Have you tried monitoring that? When a train strikes a car the crew will contact the dispatcher (by radio) saying they've struck a car at such and such crossing at milepost XXXX. The dispatcher will then contact emergency services.

 

[Rq17954z]

According to everything I've read the Waterbury Branch uses Metro-North channel 4, which is 160.335 MHz (analog NFM). Have you tried monitoring that? When a train strikes a car the crew will contact the dispatcher (by radio) saying they've struck a car at such and such crossing at milepost XXXX. The dispatcher will then contact emergency services.

I used to search the Railroad frequencies and would save anything I heard any transmission on I only saved two and one is bus company. Generally speaking about the only thing train related I have heard was the fire in naugatuck and trucks hitting the low bridges but that's usually from whoever responds to the accident. I'll put that frequency in see what I hear. Thanks

 

[Rq17954z]

According to everything I've read the Waterbury Branch uses Metro-North channel 4, which is 160.335 MHz (analog NFM). Have you tried monitoring that? When a train strikes a car the crew will contact the dispatcher (by radio) saying they've struck a car at such and such crossing at milepost XXXX. The dispatcher will then contact emergency services.

Your frequency is good !

 

[Kitn1mcc]

the new haven line is split new line east and west

aar29 for west 160.545
aar15 for east plus the waterbury, and danbury branches 160.335

PD is on CLMRN

 

[N1SQB]

According to everything I've read the Waterbury Branch uses Metro-North channel 4, which is 160.335 MHz (analog NFM). Have you tried monitoring that? When a train strikes a car the crew will contact the dispatcher (by radio) saying they've struck a car at such and such crossing at milepost XXXX. The dispatcher will then contact emergency services.

Ok, I have the channels programmed the way they are listed in the RRDB. You say that 160.335 is Metro North Channel 4. What is the proper way to arrange them so they coincide with the way they have them programmed? ie..Ch1, Ch2 etc.. I never thought about that frequency being used on the Waterbury line so I never monitored it here.

Frequency	License	Type	Tone	Alpha Tag	Description	Mode	Tag
160.335	BM	CSQ	MNCW15 NHavn	Dispatcher East	FMN	Railroad
160.545	BM	CSQ	MNCW29 NHavn	Dispatcher West	FMN	Railroad
160.770	BM	CSQ	MNCW44 Talk	Talkaround	FMN	Railroad
161.040	BM	CSQ	MNCW62 Yards	Yards	FMN	Railroad
161.160	BM	123.0 PL	MNCW70 MOW	Maintenance of Way	FMN	Railroad

​

 

[cbehr91]

Ok, I have the channels programmed the way they are listed in the RRDB. You say that 160.335 is Metro North Channel 4. What is the proper way to arrange them so they coincide with the way they have them programmed? ie..Ch1, Ch2 etc.. I never thought about that frequency being used on the Waterbury line so I never monitored it here.

Frequency	License	Type	Tone	Alpha Tag	Description	Mode	Tag
160.335	BM	CSQ	MNCW15 NHavn	Dispatcher East	FMN	Railroad
160.545	BM	CSQ	MNCW29 NHavn	Dispatcher West	FMN	Railroad
160.770	BM	CSQ	MNCW44 Talk	Talkaround	FMN	Railroad
161.040	BM	CSQ	MNCW62 Yards	Yards	FMN	Railroad
161.160	BM	123.0 PL	MNCW70 MOW	Maintenance of Way	FMN	Railroad

​

Metro North New Haven Line Radio Changes

Came across this post on railroad.net about Metro North adding another channel to the Metro North New Haven Line. . I the coming year, MN's New Haven Line will use two radio channels instead of one. Currently radio channel 3 frequency 160.545 (AAR channel 29) covers the entire line from CP 212...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[N1SQB]

https://forums.radioreference.com/t...n-line-radio-changes.301558/post-2308809[/URL

Dear God, I was on that post back in 2014. I forgot all about that. Thank you!

 

[Eng8492]

I used to listen 8 years ago and the train to waterbury gets and gives up track warrants to use the line up and down from the NH entry signal

 

[N1SQB]

I used to listen 8 years ago and the train to waterbury gets and gives up track warrants to use the line up and down from the NH entry signal

Can you translate that in english please for the rest of us? LOL....

 

[Eng8492]

Track Warrant Control - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[N1SQB]

Track Warrant Control - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Very interesting reading, thank you.

 

[Westchester1]

Joining the party late on this thread but is there any interesting dialogue on the Harlem Line? I’m in the Mt. Pleasant area and wondering if an NXDN upgrade is worth it.

 

[KB1VLA]

Waterbury and Danbury branches are both CTC now, so trans run off signal indication and not track warrants. Both branches used New Haven East channel, 160.335 MHz.

 

[N1SQB]

Waterbury and Danbury branches are both CTC now, so trans run off signal indication and not track warrants. Both branches used New Haven East channel, 160.335 MHz.

Before someone asks:


Centralized traffic control (CTC) is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America. CTC consolidates train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system consists of a centralized train dispatcher's office that controls railroad interlockings and traffic flows in portions of the rail system designated as CTC territory. One hallmark of CTC is a control panel with a graphical depiction of the railroad. On this panel, the dispatcher can keep track of trains' locations across the territory that the dispatcher controls. Larger railroads may have multiple dispatcher's offices and even multiple dispatchers for each operating division. These offices are usually located near the busiest yards or stations, and their operational qualities can be compared to air traffic towers.