CSX Radio Lingo

[brysonda]

I am fairly new to scanning the railroads. Reawakened the hobby from my childhood with my Dad. Over the past few months I have picked up quite a bit. However, there are a few terms/acronyms that I haven't been able to guess what they mean.

Specifically, when talking to the CSX dispatcher, dispatchers, crews, inspectors, etc. will refer to locations like E A S Ensel, W A S Lake Odessa. I have inferred from context that the E and W mean the east and west ends of those locations, respectively. However, I haven't been able to guess what then A S part means. In the same conversations, granting track authority, what does the dispatcher mean when they say 'circle line'.

Separately, when crews radio the dispatcher after returning to the yard (in my case Ensel, Lansing, MI), they will say that they are 'line backed and locked', among other statements (clear of the main track, etc. which make sense). What does the line backed part indicate?

[SD80MAC]

As far as EAS, WAS, NAS or SAS, those stand for Eastbound, Westbound, Northbound or Southbound Absolute Signal. When issuing warrants such as EC-1s, the dispatcher will use these as clearance points (for example, a maintainer gets the track from the EAS at Lake Odessa to the WAS at Elmdale).

When they say "lined and locked", they're talking about switches. For example, D707 will work the ethanol plant in Woodburry. When they're done, they'll line and lock the switch for the mainline before continuing on.

[brysonda]

Ah, makes sense. Thanks for the quick reply.

[SD80MAC]

No problem, glad I could help.

[Jetlink]

In the same conversations, granting track authority, what does the dispatcher mean when they say 'circle line'.

Circle line refers to a form called an EC1 that the railroad employee is copying while it is being read to them from the dispatcher. On the form there are about a dozen or so lines. When the dispatcher tells them to circle line 1a, line 4, line 11 etc. that literally means to circle that line on the EC1 form. The circled line means the rule or policy on that line will be in effect and the dispatcher provides the information for that rule or policy.

[cbehr91]

Separately, when crews radio the dispatcher after returning to the yard (in my case Ensel, Lansing, MI), they will say that they are 'line backed and locked', among other statements (clear of the main track, etc. which make sense). What does the line backed part indicate?

This means that all hand-operated switches thrown by the train crew have been put back in the "normal" position as dictated by a timetable or rulebook.

[BnOEngr]

Technically it's Eastward, Westward, Northward and Southward Absolute Signals.

EC-1 instructions regarding "Circle line" refer to the actual line number on the form, not the entire line.

[Jetlink]

EC-1 instructions regarding "Circle line" refer to the actual line number on the form, not the entire line.

That's what I meant in my head when I typed it. I see it does sound like you would circle the whole line in my post.

[Saturnalia]

Some things might have changed, but according to the 2010 rulebook, the following lines mean:

Section 1: Operating Limits
Section 2: Crossing over
Section 3: Tracks out of service
Section 4: Time effective for that EC1, and extensions
Section 5: Slow Orders
Section 6: Crossing Activation Failures
Section 7: Do Not Pass ___ without permission
Section 8: Out of Service Defect Detectors
Section 9: Weather Warnings (Heat, Flood, etc)
Section 10: ABS & block signals OOS
Section 11: CPS & block signals OOS
Section 12: Special Rules
Section 13: Power Switches
Section 14: Dispatcher Messages
Section 15: Other Instructions

Many section have several lines. Hence the "circle line 1a" which means circle the first line in section 1.

[Norm]

EC-1 instructions regarding "Circle line" refer to the actual line number on the form, not the entire line.

That's what I meant in my head when I typed it. I see it does sound like you would circle the whole line in my post.

JLD,

Clearance readback required.