NS frequency changes system wide

cbehr91

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For Allegheny Dispatcher, I don't off the top of my head. For Harrisburg Terminal (Cannon to McVey only) the secondary is 160.350, with 160.860 as the road channel effective 10/13/19.
Could it be 160.875? That is licensed to both the Mount Union and Tyrone dispatcher bases along with the current road channel 160.800.
 

wa8pyr

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For Allegheny Dispatcher, I don't off the top of my head. For Harrisburg Terminal (Cannon to McVey only) the secondary is 160.350, with 160.860 as the road channel effective 10/13/19.

Excellent, thanks. Please let us know what else you come up with!
 

RadioDitch

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That is licensed to both the Mount Union and Tyrone dispatcher bases along with the current road channel 160.800.

160.875 is the old Police PBX. It's just never been removed from the license.

For the PITL, 160.800 is still the road channel from McVey west (Allegheny Dispatcher). Cannon to McVey is 160.860 (Harrisburg Terminal, eff 10/13/2019), Harrisburg to Cannon is still 160.980 (Harrisburg Terminal).

Also changed this year was the Hagerstown Dispatcher using 160.950 the entire way.
 
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wa8pyr

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160.875 is the old Police PBX. It's just never been removed from the license.

For the PITL, 160.800 is still the road channel from McVey west (Allegheny Dispatcher). Cannon to McVey is 160.860 (Harrisburg Terminal, eff 10/13/2019), Harrisburg to Cannon is still 160.980 (Harrisburg Terminal).

Also changed this year was the Hagerstown Dispatcher using 160.950 the entire way.

What districts does the Hagerstown desk control?
 

RadioDitch

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What districts does the Hagerstown desk control?

Lurgan Branch (West of Lees Cross Roads to Town), Hagerstown District, Washington District (incl. B-Line). So geographically... WAS Lees Cross Roads (Southampton Township, PA) to McIvor (Monroe, VA).
 

PJH

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Yes, that's PTC. Only problem is it seems to not work quite a bit of the time; also, quite a few of the maintainers and track supervisors don't have it in their vehicles, so they still get their track authorities the traditional way.

PTC has nothing to do with that - per se. "Remote Authority" has been implemented with the various CAD systems, which allows MOW to request track permits, foul time or track and time (depending on the territory).

Such authority still needs to be relayed to any other track cars/equipment by the one who receives it.

Only last week has PTC (if the railroad allows it) with the last software update been able to be used to issue main track authority to trains (track warrants) - but it still requires the crew to confirm with the dispatcher. NS ran a pilot program in September and suspended it after a week on various parts of the system.

NS still has a TON of Motorola Astro Spectra clean cab units in their locomotives as well as the GE version. Do not expect NXDN anytime soon for *mainline* operation, which has been discussed ad nausum in other threads.

As a reminder, PTC is NOT an authority system, but an *overlay* for existing signal and authorities. It is very flexible to do other things, but PTC itself is not what many railfans think it does.
 

AB4BF

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Hi NS railfans, I live in Edgefield County, SC, and near the NS track they used to call track 191. This is the line that runs between Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC. I say used to, because I can't receive anything Norfolk Southern any more. I have all the frequencies listed in the RR database and I still receive CSX that runs in the north western part of the county. Scanner is an RS 2052 hooked to an outside antenna. Nothing has changed in the set up, just would like to know if they went to Palmetto 800 (lol) or something else?
 

AK9R

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...just would like to know if they went to Palmetto 800 (lol) or something else?
It's highly unlikely that NS is using a statewide public safety radio system for regular operations. That would require a wholesale change-out of radio equipment in dispatch centers, yard offices, lineside remote bases, lineside defect detectors, locomotives, mobile track equipment, track inspector and signal maintainer vehicles, and handheld radios carried by conductors, brakemen, road foremen, etc. It's more likely that they have moved to a different frequency in the railroad VHF band which is roughly 160.0 to 161.6 MHz. It is also possible that they have moved to NXDN digital voice on an existing railroad frequency, but that's usually only in localized areas.
 

AB4BF

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It's highly unlikely that NS is using a statewide public safety radio system for regular operations. That would require a wholesale change-out of radio equipment in dispatch centers, yard offices, lineside remote bases, lineside defect detectors, locomotives, mobile track equipment, track inspector and signal maintainer vehicles, and handheld radios carried by conductors, brakemen, road foremen, etc. It's more likely that they have moved to a different frequency in the railroad VHF band which is roughly 160.0 to 161.6 MHz. It is also possible that they have moved to NXDN digital voice on an existing railroad frequency, but that's usually only in localized areas.

I was pretty sure they didn't go to Pal 800, but, stranger things have happened. I'm not receiving any motorboating sounds on the programmed frequencies. I have not done a search yet, to see if there are any new frequencies used. Do the railroads go through the FCC and get FCC licenses like other if so I will do a license search. Since I've had my coffee this morning I realize that I left off the question: Does anyone know of a new frequency in use on the Augusta to Columbia NS route?
 

LakeMurray1

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Hi NS railfans, I live in Edgefield County, SC, and near the NS track they used to call track 191. This is the line that runs between Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC. I say used to, because I can't receive anything Norfolk Southern any more. I have all the frequencies listed in the RR database and I still receive CSX that runs in the north western part of the county. Scanner is an RS 2052 hooked to an outside antenna. Nothing has changed in the set up, just would like to know if they went to Palmetto 800 (lol) or something else?
Put 160.605 mhz and 161.460 mhz in your scanner and see what you hear.
 

AB4BF

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Guessing this is the Columbia District; which frequency is road and which is dispatcher?
Merry Christmas!

The dispatch frequency is 161.460.
The road frequency, by road if you mean communication within the train itself, conductors, etc., thats 160.605.
 
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Atlanta North subdivision of the Piedmont, I reported was 160.905 road (starting months ago) and 160.245 dispatcher (instead of the 160.245/160.830 split it used to be.}
 

wa8pyr

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Merry Christmas!

The dispatch frequency is 161.460.
The road frequency, by road if you mean communication within the train itself, conductors, etc., thats 160.605.

Atlanta North subdivision of the Piedmont, I reported was 160.905 road (starting months ago) and 160.245 dispatcher (instead of the 160.245/160.830 split it used to be.}

Thanks to both, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!
 
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