Anyone ever listen to RR scanners???

[WLKjr]

I have been listening to one channel all morning from CSX's Fostoria OH channels and have heard some pretty interesting stuff this morning. Heard everything from 2 engines being in ill repair (one horn broke on leader engine, radio stack missing on second trailing engine, which the govnor was failing also. train moving at about 15mph.) to switching operations and set outs at I think the nabisco plant around Toledo??.....fun to listen too if you are into RR's

http://www.railroadradio.net/

[amber dog democrat]

1. Here in Austin I listen to the UPRR Dispatcher in Spring

I don't know the frequency of the train crews yet. 160.21 ?
Thats the despatcher at SPRING TX. There is also the defect inspection device at MP 183.1

I hear lots about getting replacement crews to meet up with trains coming up on their 12 hour limits and about kids throwing rocks at the locomotives.

Also track warents and trains given permission accross the interlock to ingore stop indications, engine service / maintainance / breakdown issues, and I love the Amtrakc crews - especially when they are doing their set and releases.

We see about a dozen trains a day on the UP, ( ex MOPAC ) line through town.

I don't have the TGS freqs yet. The operate 2 or 3 trains a day on the old SP lines.

But I am so taken by their courtesy, humor and professionalism. Working on the RR still stands for something. That not changed.

[WLKjr]

2. This morning on the link I am listening too

lots of stuff happening. Since I can't get an IT job anytime soon, after I am done with school I plan on spending the 5k to go and take the training to become a freight conductor/engineer. I personally would love to work on the CSX southern divisions, pretty much anything in the Appalacians, and anything south of Columbus OH.

[amber dog democrat]

3. Are there any volunteer operations you could learn stuff from ?

this is how I got into fireman and brakeman training. And even if it is volunteer, ( i.e.not paid ) its still an FRA operation complete with drug testing..

i now carry a rules card good for 3 years. I had to put in a couple of years of volunteer time to get into the train crews. This may not be a feasible thing for most people to do. It affected lots of weekends, but .... we have a 168 miles of track over the Giddings to Llano division and operate on a small part of it -and they are always crying for help on the runs.

Hey, thanks for that link I just registered for the site . Looks pretty cool

That'l do. !

[WLKjr]

5. Not aware of any volunteer outfits around here

If you now of one in NW Ohio, particulary around Kenton, Lima, or Dayton area let me know.

[amber dog democrat]

7. Just marked up as a fireman for a run tomorow.

Have a 7:30 call in the yard

I think we'll have one of Trans Global Services reconditioned GP 7s instead of our ALCO RSD 15. Last time I was the fireman that unit was down with a cracked cylinder wall, ( and this is after new traction moters, new bearings and new wheels ).
Well stuff breaks when it gets old.
But not bad for a unit built in 1958.

We are under yard limits the whole way so it takes a couple of hours to do a 32 mile run. It makes for a nice day trip. Should be a nice day. I enjoy working with this engineer.

I checked on Steam Locomotives.com to see about operations in Ohio. There is not a whole lot happening in your part of the state as far as historic rail operations go. With so much railroading history in Ohio this astonishes me that more is not happening there has to be a fair number of locomotives preserved.

http://www.austinsteamtrain.org/ this is the organization I volunteer for .

regards,

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/ wonder if you know about this site.

[WLKjr]

8. Hell, there are lots of old, fair condition steam loco's around in parks

one is in a shed in Lima, a Nickel Plate Road Mikado (a pretty big one at that) and a old gentle man that I work with who worked at the old Lima Loco works swears that his name is welded underneath the firebox along with the date they finished that locomotive. I almost would bet a large sum of money with a little work, that locomotive could be up and running excursions within a year or two.

[JLuckey]

4. 32 years as Conductor...........

Good pay, but get ready to be on call 24hrs. a day 7 days a week. Railroading gets in your blood but its tough on family life. Good Pension. It's also a very dangerous job. Good Luck!

[amber dog democrat]

6. Just wondering

How often have you had knuckles break on couplers?
I understand it happens on occaision.

We had a draw bar fall out of a freight a few days ago. It took 4 hours to get a front end loader out there to move it off the main.