Railfanning & Radio Monitoring
How to begin monitoring and spotting trains using radio
A. Straatveit
K3NHT
Getting Started

The local railroads

Railmaps

Finding railfan spots

Finding railfans

Tuning in

Listening

Freight Timetables & Schedules

Passenger Railroads

Waiting...

What can be heard?

Data Channels

EOT Device

ATCS Monitor

Online Resources

Questions?
The Local Railroads
Google & Bing Maps
North American Railroad Map
Finding Railfan Spots
Finding Railfans


Where:
Local Examples:


Museums


Railfan Groups


Rail Modelers

Train Shows

Historical Societies

Volunteer Railroads

By The Tracks



National Railroad
Historical Society
Riverdale Park Railfans
Baltimore Streetcar
Musuem
Walkersville Southern
Railroad
Pope's Creek Railfan
Group
RF&P Historical Society
Tuning In (Voice)

Current AAR Channels

12.5/6.25 kHz Spacing

Local Railroads

CSX

Norfolk Southern (NS)

Amtrak

MARC

VRE

DC Metro
Listening: Freight
Defect Detector
Channels Box
14: 160.320
08: 160.230
Listening: Passenger Railroads

Metrorail


Amtrak, MARC, VRE


Constant Communications
Use road channels of track owners
RadioReference.com

Database search
Waiting...
What can be heard?

Engineers &
Crew

Signal Calls

Dispatchers


Train
Numbers
Defect
Detectors
Data Channels


EOT (End Of Train)
Device

No more caboose

Little red box
ATCS (Signaling)
Monitor
EOT (End Of Train) Device

What is the EOT?

What do you hear?


How Can I use EOT
Data?
Frequencies:

457.9375 MHz (Tail)

452.9375 MHz (Head)
ATCS Monitor







Realtime updates of train
locations
Interactive “dispatcher”
view
Web interactive data
Receiver updates (Icom
R1500)
EOT Monitoring Possible
1+ Hour lead time on
trains
Only works in certain
areas

800 MHz & 900 MHz

Channel – 2




CSX
MCP – 896.9375
BCP - 935.9375
Channel – 5



Norfolk Southern
MCP – 897.9375
BCP - 936.9375
ATCS Monitor
Online Resources









http://www.on-track-on-line.com/
http://www.modernrailroading.com/DigitalLibrary/CSX/i
ndex.htm
http://www.atcsmon.com/
http://www.railroadmap.com/
http://maps.bing.com
http://maps.google.com
http://www.dpdproductions.com
http://thesquirrelconspiracy.com
http://youtube.com/fedoramentok/
Some Frequencies

Capitol Sub:





Road: 160.230
Disp: 160.320
Old Main Sub:

Road: 160.230
Disp: 160.320
Metro Sub:



Road: 160.230
Disp: 160.320
Baltimore Term Sub:



Pope's Creek Sub:


Road: 160.230
Disp: 161.100
R&D: 161.070
RFP Sub:


Road: 161.550
Disp: 160.410
A few more Frequencies
Yards:
Jessup 161.490
Benning 160.800
Amtrak
NEC
160.920
Be safe and
photograph every
train!
andrew@thesquirrelconspiracy.com
A. Straatveit
K3NHT