CN changing radio channels around in Illinois

[N9JIG]

The CN is adding 160.920 as the Road Channel for at least the former WC and EJ&E lines as well as the former IC out to Galena. On the former WC Waukesha Sub 161.295 is being retained as the Dispatcher Channel, I imagine that the J will retain 161.475 and the Freeport line 161.190 for Dispatcher operations with the trains going to 160.920 for Road and switching operations.

Radio traffic on some of these channels today (changeover day) were understandably a bit confused as some of the base stations and detectors have yet to be switched over.

I don't know if this coincided with the narrowbanding program or not.

I am sure more will shake out soon.

[NYC3001]

Radio traffic on some of these channels today (changeover day) were understandably a bit confused as some of the base stations and detectors have yet to be switched over.

I don't know if this coincided with the narrowbanding program or not.

I am sure more will shake out soon.

Hi Rich,

I was listening to the CN today, and they mentioned that they had to change the power on a train going to Memphis. Apparently, the radio technician needed to work on several locomotives, so their radios would work properly south of Chicago. Sounds like this all coincides with their narrowbanding project.

[sd70accsxt700]

I might be wrong as I have not had time to look up the info, but could it be CN switching from a one channel system where dispatcher and trains are all on the same channel, to a CSX type system of trains on one channell and dispatchers on another? Just because they are changing is not necessarly have anything to do with narrowband.

[GTW6401]

CN has used two different channels on the former GTW for a long time. 160.530 and 161.220 are the dispatcher channels, and 160.590 is the road channel.

[GTW]

not radio related but CN is installing new HBD's between the existing ones on the south bend sub.