NS frequency changes system wide

Dispatcher308

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I will listen in Baltimore and report any changes here

I have not noted any new frequency changes in Baltimore, I also plugged in all the above frequencies that were noted in this thread to try and have heard nothing, most are not licensed in Baltimore. I am not saying it wont happen in the future, but it just hasn't happened at this time
 

cbehr91

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The Lake Erie District between Buffalo and Cleveland switched to 161.085 for the road channel sometime last month.
 

wa8pyr

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The Lake Erie District between Buffalo and Cleveland switched to 161.085 for the road channel sometime last month.

Excellent, thanks for the info. I'll update the database.

Is the Lake Erie District still handled by the Youngstown Line dispatcher?
 

cbehr91

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Excellent, thanks for the info. I'll update the database.

Is the Lake Erie District still handled by the Youngstown Line dispatcher?
The Youngstown Line desk was abolished in the great purge when the dispatchers moved to Atlanta. I'm not sure which desk(s) handle that territory now.
 

RadioDitch

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Is the Lake Erie District still handled by the Youngstown Line dispatcher?

When the Youngstown Line Dispatcher was abolished on 11/30/2017 the territory went to the Pittsburgh West Dispatcher. Then NS decided to redistrict dispatchers again after the move to Atlanta. As a result the Lake Erie District is now controlled by the Lake Erie Dispatcher (Lake Erie Desk often on the radio) as of 02/28/2019.
 

wa8pyr

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When the Youngstown Line Dispatcher was abolished on 11/30/2017 the territory went to the Pittsburgh West Dispatcher. Then NS decided to redistrict dispatchers again after the move to Atlanta. As a result the Lake Erie District is now controlled by the Lake Erie Dispatcher (Lake Erie Desk often on the radio) as of 02/28/2019.

Got any idea who handles the Youngstown Line, Meadville Line and Koppel Secondary? They were Youngstown Line then apparently Pittsburgh West.
 

RadioDitch

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Got any idea who handles the Youngstown Line, Meadville Line and Koppel Secondary? They were Youngstown Line then apparently Pittsburgh West.

I believe that Lake Erie has the Youngstown Line also, or part of it. The Meadville Line, or at least the WNY&P portion is dispatched by them and not NS. I'm not familiar with the Koppel Secondary.
 
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wa8pyr

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I believe that Lake Erie has the Youngstown Line also, or part of it. The Meadville Line, or at least the WNY&P portion is dispatched by them and not NS. I'm not familiar with the Koppel Secondary.

Does WNY&P still start at CP French (MP 105.5) on the Meadville Line?

The Koppel Secondary runs from CP Wood on the Ft Wayne Line to CP Wampum on the Youngstown Line, about 6 miles; if I recall correctly it's a shortcut for NS (formerly PRR/PC/CR) trains running to the lakeshore to get to Youngstown. My guess would be Lake Erie DS although it could be whoever controls the Ft Wayne Line between Rochester and Alliance.
 

RadioDitch

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Does WNY&P still start at CP French (MP 105.5) on the Meadville Line?

Correct.

My guess would be Lake Erie DS although it could be whoever controls the Ft Wayne Line between Rochester and Alliance.

As far as I know when they abolished the Cleveland Line Dispatcher on 03/06/2019, the Fort Wayne Line became:
Conway Terminal Dispatcher: Penn to Enon
Cleveland East Dispatcher: Enon to Alliance
Pennsy Line Dispatcher: Alliance to Crest

Cleveland East also was given the Cleveland Line from Yellow Creek to CP-86.

After a little more research, it would appear that the Koppel Secondary probably now also belongs to Lake Erie DS, who also was given the Lake Erie District, Youngstown Line, and some trackage west of UD.
 

wa8pyr

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As far as I know when they abolished the Cleveland Line Dispatcher on 03/06/2019, the Fort Wayne Line became:
Conway Terminal Dispatcher: Penn to Enon
Cleveland East Dispatcher: Enon to Alliance
Pennsy Line Dispatcher: Alliance to Crest

Cleveland East also was given the Cleveland Line from Yellow Creek to CP-86.

After a little more research, it would appear that the Koppel Secondary probably now also belongs to Lake Erie DS, who also was given the Lake Erie District, Youngstown Line, and some trackage west of UD.

Got it, thanks. Any idea who got the Cleveland Line from Rochester to Yellow Creek, the River Line, Weirton Secondary and Captina Secondary? I'm guessing it's the same desk, since the River Line runs off the Cleveland Line at Yellow Creek, and the other two run off the River Line.

I'm getting the sneaky suspicion it may be the Pennsy Line DS, since there isn't a whole lot left and the Pennsy Line is looking suspiciously like a glorified branch line dispatcher.
 

RadioDitch

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Got it, thanks. Any idea who got the Cleveland Line from Rochester to Yellow Creek, the River Line, Weirton Secondary and Captina Secondary? I'm guessing it's the same desk, since the River Line runs off the Cleveland Line at Yellow Creek, and the other two run off the River Line.

I'm getting the sneaky suspicion it may be the Pennsy Line DS, since there isn't a whole lot left and the Pennsy Line is looking suspiciously like a glorified branch line dispatcher.

Reached out to some friends at NS. I'll let you know what I hear back.
 

cbehr91

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The Pennsy Line dispatcher also randomly has the Frankfort District in Indiana between Portland and at least Frankfort, Indiana as well as the Ft. Wayne Line from Alliance to Adams (east of Ft. Wayne) or maybe further west. They're basically a branch line dispatcher.

A sidenote about Muncie...what used to be one dispatcher, one radio frequency is now three. On the New Castle side the dispatchers and radio frequencies change at Sixth St. (Cincy Terminal desk/AAR 22 south/east, Chicago desk/AAR 83 north/west), and the Frankort District is now a different dispatcher and radio frequency (Pennsy Line/AAR 39).
 

wa8pyr

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The Pennsy Line dispatcher also randomly has the Frankfort District in Indiana between Portland and at least Frankfort, Indiana as well as the Ft. Wayne Line from Alliance to Adams (east of Ft. Wayne) or maybe further west. They're basically a branch line dispatcher.

A sidenote about Muncie...what used to be one dispatcher, one radio frequency is now three. On the New Castle side the dispatchers and radio frequencies change at Sixth St. (Cincy Terminal desk/AAR 22 south/east, Chicago desk/AAR 83 north/west), and the Frankort District is now a different dispatcher and radio frequency (Pennsy Line/AAR 39).

Sounds like someone in Atlanta wasn't thinking straight.

What's the frequency for the Fort Wayne Line from Alliance to Adams? Still 161.070/064?

Ditto the Marion Branch and Red Key Secondary; I'm guessing that since the Chicago desk controls it, they would use the same frequency as the northern part of the New Castle.
 
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cbehr91

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Sounds like someone in Atlanta wasn't thinking straight.

What's the frequency for the Fort Wayne Line from Alliance to Adams? Still 161.070/064?

Ditto the Marion Branch and Red Key Secondary; I'm guessing that since the Chicago desk controls it, they would use the same frequency as the northern part of the New Castle.
Last I knew Alliance to Colsan was still 64. Colsan west changed to 71/161.175 mHz about five years ago.
 

oneadam12-va

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Just was on both Amtrak trains 19 and 20 this week, Tye River is where the "radio district" changes in NS in Virginia. South of Tye River 160.905 for road channel, North of Tye River 160.950. Tye River is roughly halfway between Lynchburg and Charlottesville.

What I found unusual, in the past when riding on Amtrak engineer and conductor would via radio acknowledge change of channel when crossing from one district to another and from railroad to railroad, on both trips this week they did not do that...so there I was listening to 160.905, passed Tye River going North and no longer was hearing the crew calling signals, the dispatcher, or defect detectors...checked radio to make sure it was still working then set it to scan and picked up the crew on 160.950...

Returning South I played extra attention to where the changeover occurred...and as we approached Tye River sure enough no acknowledgement of channel change...
 

wa8pyr

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Just was on both Amtrak trains 19 and 20 this week, Tye River is where the "radio district" changes in NS in Virginia. South of Tye River 160.905 for road channel, North of Tye River 160.950. Tye River is roughly halfway between Lynchburg and Charlottesville.

What I found unusual, in the past when riding on Amtrak engineer and conductor would via radio acknowledge change of channel when crossing from one district to another and from railroad to railroad, on both trips this week they did not do that...so there I was listening to 160.905, passed Tye River going North and no longer was hearing the crew calling signals, the dispatcher, or defect detectors...checked radio to make sure it was still working then set it to scan and picked up the crew on 160.950...

Returning South I played extra attention to where the changeover occurred...and as we approached Tye River sure enough no acknowledgement of channel change...

Looking at the timetable I'm guessing that the actual point of the changeover was probably around McIvor (about 14 miles south of Tye River). Unless they've moved the changeover point (which is possible, they've been moving all sorts of stuff), McIvor is where the Washington desk hands over to the Danville desk.

Thanks for the update!
 

oneadam12-va

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Looking at the timetable I'm guessing that the actual point of the changeover was probably around McIvor (about 14 miles south of Tye River). Unless they've moved the changeover point (which is possible, they've been moving all sorts of stuff), McIvor is where the Washington desk hands over to the Danville desk.

Thanks for the update!

i did hear signals called on 160.905 at Tye River...then nothing else...while on 20 going North...but it would be "logical" for the change over to be at McIvor...
 
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