Where is Amtrak PCA(?) or BCA(?) mile post 142 near a tunnel?

[66twr2009]

I'm having difficulty getting this info:

I heard this mentioned on my radio in Frederick, MD on 160.920 Mhz the evening of Mon, Nov 17. There was a lot of static and dropout so it was possibly transmitted/repeated from behind some hill or was several counties away...maybe east of me. Around that time I heard another broadcast that was 55 miles away on another RR line (on 160.950 mhz) and they mentioned town west of me. Anyway, I'm sure I heard "north at mile post 142.(?)" and "near the tunnel" in the message in question. The first letter in this acronym was unclear: "PCA(?)" or "BCA(?)"

This is the only info I found on that freq:

Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Channel: AAR 54
Frequency: 160.920 Mhz

Also, is there a posted listing of mileposts on the NE
corridor where I'm guessing this transmission came from? Thanks.

JC.

 

[FLRAILMAN]

Where is Amtrak PCA(?) or BCA(?) milepost 142 near a tunnel?

JC, all I know about a PCA is that it's the initials for the "Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging" who works closely with Amtrak to give senior citizens discout tickets to sports events, so I doubt that it was what was talked about in that transmission. Amtrak NEC CTEC operations on 160.92 MHz (AAR 54) ends at the north end of Washingto Union Station where engine swap out operations take place on 160.44 MHz (AAR 22) The official terminating milepost for NEC southern is just south of Union Station at: (MP: 135.9) From the south end of Washington Union Station through Virginia is CSX controlled on 161.55 MHZ (AAR 96) Road & 160.41 MHz (AAR 20) Dispatch. Norfolk Southen is allocated 160.95 MHz (AAR 56) throughout Maryland & Virginia. The sites below should offer additional assistance, happy railscanning.

On Track On Line - Amtrak Radio Frequencies

Mid-Atlantic Train Finding Tools

Northeast Corridor - Definition by WordIQ

FLRAILMAN

 

[kb2vxa]

Baltimore? That's the only tunnel I know of other than Portal and you can't hear it from there. I found something concerning Amtrak, CSX and MTA that mentions BCA but how it would fit in with what you heard is unclear.
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sb0977.pdf
Since you didn't put the acronym in any sort of context it's hard to say what it could be, just another obscure term I wouldn't lose any sleep over.

 

[JESSERABBIT]

I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but there is are several CSX tunnels in Western Md. They are at mp 146.1-Graham Tunnel and at mp 147.6-Caruthers Tunnel. They are in the area of Paw Paw WV. I can hear the BA Dispatcher from my location talking to trains in that area at times. I hope this helps.

 

[66twr2009]

May have found it - 141.7 Randolph Tunnel in WV

Through the link from FLRAILMAN: the CSX Cumberland Subdivision I found this MP listing for the Amtrak Capitol Limited to Chicago through the CSX Cumberland Subdivision:

141.7 Randolph Tunnel
142.7 Larrys Hollow
143.6 Hansrote

It is about 45 miles west of me and I think it is the most likely one. I can't get any of the maps and some other parts of the Mid-Atlantic Train Finding Tools to work but that site has mile posts all over the place which I really like. I hope it starts working again soon because I really want to see the NEC MPs from Balt through NJ.

Another thing they said was: "BCA milepost 143.#" but I don't know what the exact acronym was. That was actually the first thing I heard. Sometimes they use their initials. JESSERABBIT - do you have a listing of MPs in your area? I know can hear other broadcasts from Morgan Co.

I've been listening for 160.920 Mhz tone 146.2 and BCA(?) again but haven't heard it. I have heard 160.950 from the town 55 miles away again though. I can only hear the distant signals around dawn & dusk. I guess I've finally experienced what the CB'ers call catching 'skip'.

Thanks for all the helpful responses! Please keep 'em coming if you have more info.

 

[FLRAILMAN]

Where is Amtrak BCA(?) or PCA(?) milepost 142 near a tunnel?

JC, check the third website on my post: North East Corridor definitions by WordIQ & scroll all the way down & it displays a brief overview of the NEC MPs including the ones that you are interested in from MP 99.4 at Baltimore Station to MP 5.0 at Secaucus New Jersey Transfer Station. If you get a chance check my website & Wikipedia listings on the WIKI RR railroad section under: Railroading/Railscanning/Railfanning, It's a jumble right now, however I haven't had the time to organize it yet.Take care.

FLRAILMAN

 

[66twr2009]

Got it - thanks. I think I saw your site as well as the Railroading/Railscanning/Railfanning links page in the Wiki.

Two more questions if you don't mind: For 161.520 they mention "BB" and the listings for it include that BB but what does it stand for?:

CSX BB Disp (Cumberland) Ch3

Also, when mentioning block times on some channels (I don't recall which but could be 160.320), they say LOC (letters spelled out) at the end of the sentence. Here is a quote: "...09:00 LOC". What does the LOC stand for?

JC

 

[FLRAILMAN]

Where is Amtrak BCA(?) or PCA(?) milepost near a tunnel?

BB is one of CSXs location designations used to identify the portion of the rail line that a dispatcher is in control of. See Botes CSX dispatch desk thread at the top of this forum. LOC? I have no clue, I sure someone will jump in here to answer that one. Steel wheels on steel rails, happy failfanning.

FLRAILMAN

 

[rvictor]

Also, when mentioning block times on some channels (I don't recall which but could be 160.320), they say LOC (letters spelled out) at the end of the sentence. Here is a quote: "...09:00 LOC". What does the LOC stand for?

JC

Probably Local Time.

Dick

 

[JESSERABBIT]

JESSERABBIT - do you have a listing of MPs in your area?
I know can hear other broadcasts from Morgan Co

Click on the "Cumberland Sub" in post #5. It is MTNSUB.ORG . I have another list from another source (cannot remember which one, but was on the Web) and the Mileposts are not exactly they same as the list from MTNSUB that I have but come very close. From my location I can hear the trains from Brunswick to about Martinsburg and can hear the dispatcher side for units up to around east of Cumberland. I have an outside antenna tuned to from 144mhz-148mhz.

 

[66twr2009]

I'll have to look at that link and revisit the others this weekend. I do want routes with MPs though.

I heard this acronym (LOC) again and I think these are dispatcher's intials that vary depending on who is working. It sounded like the dispatcher was talking to specific engineers or workers in the field and the people in the field repeated what they heard.

In the SW direction I can hear up to Point of Rocks and Tuscarora and sometimes the east side Brunkswick yard. On good days I can also hear 72.1 defect detector west of Point of Rocks, as well as 14.4 (Shepherdstown?). I've heard hwy crew transissions from Shepherdstown and EMS ones from Charles Town. I've heard no trains from between Shepherdstown and Brunswick. I can hear almost anything due west of me which includes Shepherdstown and much farther. There are still a lot that I'm trying to identify the source of but I can't hear them that well or often.

I have a roof mounted RS ground plane and just got a mobile Larsen NMO 150/450/800. The Larsen is the best one I've ever had for 160 Mhz. It gets more than the ant on the roof so now I think of excuses to drive places. I also have a mobile 5/8 Tram/Browning 148-174 that I cut to 160 Mhz and it's nowhere close to the Larsen except on top of hills it does great. I haven't heard many good things about 5/8 waves for this area. I also had a self-cut 1/2 wave and a 1/4 wave cut to 160 Mhz and I couldn't tell the difference. In fact, 1/4 wave might have been better which still baffles me. I have universal mobile mounts that enable me to do a lot of testing with various length whips/stingers.