Murray Hot Box Detector

[NeFire242]

What freq does this run on down there?

 

[realgeo]

Howdy!

All of the Hotbox detectors on the UPRR's Falls City Sub - Omaha to KC - are on the road channel for that line, 160.41000 MHz, AKA "AAR Channel 20".

The detectors on the North part of the road are located at:

468.5 - Just north of La Platte
452.7 - Just south of Murray
437.4 - Just north of Nebraska City

I have it on GOOD authority that if you listen *carefully* to those detectors, you might be able to identify the female voice as a somewhat famous, and sadly deceased, "Space Nurse"!

Any guesses? :*)

73s

 

[realgeo]

I have it on GOOD authority that if you listen *carefully* to those detectors, you might be able to identify the female voice as a somewhat famous, and sadly deceased, "Space Nurse"!

Any guesses? :*)

73s

Well, since there have been no guesses.... the voice you are hearing is that of the late Majel Barrett-Roddenberry! That's right - "Nurse Chappel" from Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek is the voice of UPRR's new speaking train defect detectors!

Not only did she play the pivotal role of Nurse Chappel, but she also played the computer voice for many of the following series, and she played the part of "Number One" in the original Star Trek pilot.

Interesting facts that you won't just pickup on the front page of your favorite newspaper!

73s

 

[NeFire242]

Ha, okay I was thinking Dee O'Hara, but last I knew she was still alive and couldn't think of anyone else.

 

[KF0SKV]

There is a BNSF Detector near Cambridge, Ne MP 258.1, Hastings Sub that sounds much like Brittney Spears, rather annoying and overmodulated.

A couple of hoggers I have rode with like it, but I'm not fond of Brittney Spears.

If I recall correctly, UP Detector 332.0 was just recently changed over to "Nurse Chappel".

 

[realgeo]

There is a BNSF Detector near Cambridge, Ne MP 258.1, Hastings Sub that sounds much like Brittney Spears, rather annoying and overmodulated.

A couple of hoggers I have rode with like it, but I'm not fond of Brittney Spears.

If I recall correctly, UP Detector 332.0 was just recently changed over to "Nurse Chappel".

Rich - did you ever operate over the BN when they still had the multi-track diamond at Grand Island? From stories I've heard and pictures I've seen, that must've been one rough crossing to go across!

Yep! I think you're right. UPRR has converted ALL of the former male-voiced detectors along the Falls City sub to the new ones. It's a whole-new signal bungalow, around half the size of the old ones, and I think they even replace some of the field equipment between the rails when they do a conversion.

IIRC, some of the older CNW detectors between MoValley and Dennison were female voices, mostly of the synthesized type, though.

"U P Detector... Milepost 4 5 2 point 7.. NO defects. Total axles... 5 4 2. Train speed 3 5 M P H, Temperature 3 1 degrees... Detector OUT"

73s

 

[KF0SKV]

Say George, no I wasn't on the BN when the GI Diamond was still in. Stories were shared about the delays, and so fourth. For the amount of coal traffic Ravenna Sub and UP Columbus Sub sees, I'm sure it was a real bottlelneck.

I have crossed over the UP/BNSF Fremont Diamond many times, it's a rough one-ride that is, (it is to be replaced sometime this summer), but the delays were not all that bad. Sometimes DS 20 would give us clear indication, and we would shoot right through at a blazing 10mph!

Another "scary" diamond is the BNSF/F&EVR (CNW) north of Fremont. It is a 10mph ride across that one, but it has been reported that there have been a few near misses with the Dinner Train, due to the automatic interlocking "malfunctioning". What I have been told, the Dinner Train Crew has a mindset that a "malfunctioning" interlocking means "gun it!!"

Guess F&EVR they haven't read up on GCOR Rule 5.15, Improperly Displayed Signal or 9.12.3, Automatic Interlockings.