Southcoast Rail Project

[kb1kvd]

Once everything is turned up and handed over to Keolis the entire system is going to computer controlled via PTC fiber. The switches locally in the layovers will be manual control with the exception of the switches leading into the layover.The layover should be on AAR 051 for operations within the layover. New Bedford station is part of the new interlocking Herman with the freight yard being called Whales.

 

[N1EXA]

Once everything is turned up and handed over to Keolis the entire system is going to computer controlled via PTC fiber. The switches locally in the layovers will be manual control with the exception of the switches leading into the layover.The layover should be on AAR 051 for operations within the layover. New Bedford station is part of the new interlocking Herman with the freight yard being called Whales.

ARR 51 ( 160.875 ) Thats a new one for me. Im say A 1/2 mile from the Layover so If this the Yard Channel and there using HT's that will be no problem.
Pete N1EXA

 

[kb1kvd]

Yes, AAR 051 is our yard channel. It is used over at BET, and layovers around the system. It's just a local base radio that is used by the mechanical crews around the layover. On our system we have 3 yard channels 051, 007, 063. AAR 007 is used over at Readville and AAR 063 is used at Widett/ South Hampton street.

 

[N1EXA]

to KB1KVD
Saw this get installed outside the whales tooth station along the track.
Looks to be Multiple Dipoles and a Support Cubical.
Is this a remote site ? repeater or extender for the Dipatcher to the train.
160.725 Mhz ?
Is this connected to the tower out in Berkly MA ?

 

[kb1kvd]

That is a 217MHz PTC setup at that location. Every interlocking has a PTC wayside radio such as the Whales tale location.The PTC radio at that site beacons every 5-10 seconds waiting for a train to talk to it. What they are using at Whales tail is a typical PTC wayside site, the only variable is the amount of loops on the antenna. Generally most of our PTC sites have 2 and 3 bay dipoles, but a few locations use a 4 bay dipole or a yagi for the PTC system. There are only the 2 sites in Berkeley that are used by the dispatcher for 160.725 for south coast rail.

 

[N1EXA]

Lots of Messages repeating today on 160.725 ( Audio TEST this is Message # 4 ) !
The signal is very strong in New Bedford and Fairhaven so is this the Repeater Site
( Berkley ) for the South Coast being put on line ?

Pete N1EXA

 

[kb1kvd]

Yes, that was the Berkley base radio site. There's no actual repeater at that site, it's all just base radios. They were testing the equipment and verifying everything. We still need to add a couple of sites since the Berkley site doesn't cover either line completely and we have to consider portable coverage, but that won't happen until everything is turned over to us fully. Based on our testing we have a couple of sizable gaps in coverage from those sites, anything worse than a -105 dBm is no good for us.

 

[N1EXA]

Yes, that was the Berkley base radio site. There's no actual repeater at that site, it's all just base radios. They were testing the equipment and verifying everything. We still need to add a couple of sites since the Berkley site doesn't cover either line completely and we have to consider portable coverage, but that won't happen until everything is turned over to us fully. Based on our testing we have a couple of sizable gaps in coverage from those sites, anything worse than a -105 dBm is no good for us.

I have a question - I thought this was a repeater and not a base remote - On my Uniden BC125AT hand held if I go into the railroad search mode ch41 comes up as 160.725 ARR 41R/89T so it made me assume this is a repeater. It obviously not - If I switch up 1 Channel it says
ARR 41T/89R this Uniden does this for all the ARR channels - It not something the MBTA/Keolis is Not Doing. Another quirky Feature
of the Uniden BC125AT.

Pete N1EXA

 

[kb1kvd]

The only repeaters we have on the system are at Blue Hill, BET and the C&S test repeater. Everything else is a base station either simplex or duplex systems. All of our road channels and mechanical help desk are simplex. The repeater at Blue hill is only used by engineering forces (track, signal, B&B) and the repeater at BET is only used by B&B facility electricians and plumbers. The C&S test repeater is only used during signal cutovers when portable coverage isn't sufficient and the repeater is a local low power repeater. So, in order to hear it you would need be close to where the cutover work is being done. I've seen channel nomenclature on scanners that doesn't actually jive with what and how it's being normally used. In general practice on a railroad the road channel is simplex without a receive PL, this is done for interoperability with other railroads that they may interchange with or have run over their territory. Usually the only time it is not that way is if the railroad doesn't interchange or have anyone else operate over their tracks.

 

[N1EXA]

Ive been hearing the pre rocorded messages playing on 160.725 Mhz then multi DTMF tones then the signal is really strong.
Is that DTMF multi tones changing the remote sites ? This is Different than the signal DTMF tone I hear As an Identifier from Old Colony Dispatch.

Pete N1EXA

 

[kb1kvd]

We are currently testing the radios at the Berkley site. The DTMF is purely for testing and does not convey control of different sites on our system.

 

[N1EXA]

We are currently testing the radios at the Berkley site. The DTMF is purely for testing and does not convey control of different sites on our system.

That Berkley site is strong because I have a Bearcat V with a 160.725 crystal and its bombing in just on the telescoping antenna.

Pete N1EXA

 

[N1EXA]

The MBTA Train Engineer Enters a multiple DTMF code. After that A recording is played which some are a test others are track functions,.
The message is far to strong for the rehoboth site is this also from the track side structure along with the 215 mhz Data sent ?

The Dispatcher is not called Old Colony but South Coast is this a different dispatcher or the same operator and just used to identify
the region calling ?

Im finding MA Coastal using 160.725 along with 160.425 depending if there on the main run or doing side work.

Pete N1EXA

 

[kb1kvd]

The DTMF that's being used is for activating crossings and the switches down in the layovers. When the engineer inputs the DTMF code the system has an acknowledgement function. In order for that system to work correctly the train has to be on the respective track circuit. Part of what the system does is an integrity check making sure there are no other circuits or breaks in the circuit. The DTMF units are used throughout the system in locations where a station is at a crossing and at drawbridges. We do not have a radio site in Rehoboth, the only 2 voice radio base sites are both in Berkley. Only one site is used for the 160.725 frequency. As for the 217 MHz usage is just for PTC and they are located wayside. They only provide interlocking status and track status to the onboard PTC system. The wayside radios and on board PTC radios all beacon at a certain interval. The frequency used is different at every wayside PTC location and the onboard system knows what frequency to be on based off of a in track transponder which the reads. All of the signal and track switching data is handled via fiber over our internal network.

Yes, the dispatcher for South Coast rail is called the South Coast dispatcher and seperate from the Old Colony dispatcher . The two dispatchers sit in CTEC and their desk are next to each other.

Mass Coastal should be on our 160.725 if they're running under the control of Keolis South Coast dispatcher but if they're doing switching on their tracks (not controlled by Keolis) then they can be on their channel 160.425.

 

[KB1UAM]

Monday is the big day Grand opening of Southcoast rail! 427am first train out of New Bedford Station. 160.725 and 161.460 have been non-stop action all week.

 

[Nascar18]

KB1KVD, What frequencies for the Fall River line?

 

[kb1kvd]

We made the switch over to AAR 091 (161.475 MHz) from AAR 041 (160.725 MHz) on Sunday morning. This was something that my department was working on for a while behind the scenes. Part of the change is we added sites to the South Coast territory especially towards the Fall River and New Bedford ends where the main site had little to no coverage at the ends of the line.

 

[KB1UAM]

Has anything been heard in regards to MBTA Police traffic for Southcoast rail? Or is it up to New Bedford and Fall River PDs?

 

[ecps92]

Has anything been heard in regards to MBTA Police traffic for Southcoast rail? Or is it up to New Bedford and Fall River PDs?

MBTA has been on the State Site 3 patched to their T-Band for many months now, not sure if new or not, as I tend to only listen to site 5

 

[Nascar18]

KB1KVD, Dose Fall River have a yard channel? 161.4750 is loud & clear! Who are we hearing most of the time? Is it the dispatcher or the train.