RailRoadFan.com

I was inspired by the "radio Skip" topic so I decided I would post about a few of my favorite things I have heard over the scanner.

One of my favorite things to hear over my scanners is when engineers or conductors say something that is either funny, intresting, or scarcastic. Here are a few of my favorites...

one of the first for me was:
"39E to the Wayne yard master Hello Helloooo!"

When in Wayzeta MN I saw and heard a coal train passing another freight:
"looked good on the roll by dim light on the rear."
[coal train]: "And you guys looked pretty good sitting there"

the latest for me was one night when the AA was getting there orders from Hallet Tower
"As always thank you for flying Ann Arbor Railroad"

these are the 3 ones that I remember the most, but I'm sure some of your guys have heard more and better ones

"You look good, but mine's longer," said one train to the always-short Q112.

"CSXT engine 8835 east clear-SWEET JESUS we just hit an owl or a rooster or some flying thing......uh Q326 out"

Train 1: "We've had a little railfan puppy dog following us for the last few miles"
Train 2: "Well did ya feed him anything?"

"GLLX 3001 south, approach Marquette (spelled Market) street, Zee-one-fiddy-one out"

Conductor: "Does anyone know what GCFX 3008 is?"
Tower: "Ask the foamer!"

"(Z151) clear on a pair in Grant...."

There was (or may still be "is", but I haven't heard him in awhile) who would run Q114/117 (later Q017/Q018) between Willard and Chicago who would make up funny names for some of the signals and yell "ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut" at the end of his transmissions.

"CSXT engine [engine] west track 1 clear Hooterville (Hoytville) Q zero seventeen oh six is ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut"

Dispatcher Nesbit on 1st shift IE usually says something quotable everyday.

Sometimes, and I don't know why, some of guys in Watkins Yard and the yardmaster will talk like pirates. Once in a blue moon the yardmaster will call a train their engine the Black Pearl (from the Pirates movies and they're NS, so black engines...yeah....)

Train: Well, the [engine #] is more like the Charcoal Pearl.
Yardmaster: Which one's Rum Runner I?
Train: That's [engine #]
Yardmaster: Which one's Rum Runner II?
Train: [engine #]
Yardmaster: I gotta write these things down.

One last one. I heard a detector tell a train they had 0 axles
The train crew answered "NS [whatever whatever at wherever wherever] no defects, no axles...out"

I heard this one on YouTube. A real blast from the past. For those who don't know, Conrail had to respond to detectors in lieu of calling signals, etc. "(Conrail) BNST-0, 2576, Pemberton, Track 1, no wagons draggin', out!"

Yesterday while chasing 765 north of Burrows, Indiana the 099 (765's train) had just hit the detector at Burrows and "axle 5" like always got hit for a hotbox, "Axle 5" is basically the firebox. Anyway the pilot radioed the Dispatcher.

"099 Dispatcher ova" "Go ahead 099" "Yeah we just got a detector alert at Burrows"

After a brief pause the pilot comes back with a befuddled voice "Yeah uh the guys in the cab say they totally disregard those so uh in case you were wondering what was happening..."

You guys need to listen to the Yard channels in Battle Creek. Very Colorfull

There used to be a guy out of GR that would practically tell a story while clearing a signal.

"CSX Corporation out of Jacksonville is proud to present the lavishly painted, wonderfully interiored CSXT 7654 clear indication at (signal location ) out.

-"CCCCCCCCNNNNNNNNNNN TD3 Troy Michigan over!" -Former CN Dispatcher EAF

-"Yo wat up homie!" -CN Dispatcher JWM

-"It would be nice if this darn system actually knew how to line up signals"

-"You need more air in the air tank for your horn at Byron Rd." -CN Conductor

-"Canadian National Railway, hotbox detector. Milepost 222.2 track 2. Defect detected! Axle 22. Temperature 22 degrees. Detector out"- CN Detector MP 299 Flint Sub.

-JWM: "Maintainer XXX, go ahead over." Maintainer: "Ya Joe, we need a track authority." JWM: "What are you doing out that XXX?" Maintainer: "Well ya know, I'm driving Ms. Burgett" -CN Conversation CN Holly Subdivision

"Throttle...on!" - CN crew chatter in Durand.

"You can do iiiiiiit!" - CSX crew chatter in Deshler.

"Lettuce, clear West Deshler!"

"Is that a rent-a-wreck SD40-2?" "No it's not, it's a BN SD60M! Craaap!"

"Let's get out and go play with trains"

"Two fine looking engines you have there." "These couldn't pull a greased string out of a cats ass!"

"Uh, I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm stuck in the elevator."

Practice Safe CSX

Good stuff. Makes me wish I had a scanner

Dispatch - (to a conductor) - Your engineer called you a WHAT?

Forgot 2 of my own.

38e was stalled because of engine troubles right at mp30

the leader was an ex CR unit:
"It may be shiny black but its still a Big Blue Poopy"

and then 355 to 38e on being late:
"I took the senic route... like 352"

And the other day the Wyoming YM was very particular about where to put K239 on the Service Track:
"I don't care where you put it, as long as the west end is clear!"

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One day the RN was talking with maintainers/inspectors almost constantly. At one point, after talking with 4 different people, she said this:

"Anyone else here for the RN? [2 second pause] CSX RN Dispatcher out"
"[Dispatcher Tone]"
"CSX RN Dispatcher Calumet City oooooooover"
"hahaha nice try. I'm ready to anull my EC-1 over"
"You guys are keeping me busy today! [And then she continued on with the EC1 stuff]"

A month ago, P370 was approaching the flagman at CH 151.1 (Pleasant St). He called the Flagman twice while passing through Wyoming yard with no answer. He then called right after he passed Plaster Creek, no answer. Then this happened:

"P370 east, clear Godfrey [horn in background]"
"P370 to Flagman at CH 151.1 over"
"FLAGMAN AT CH151.1 OVER!"
"I'm rapidy approaching your limits, currently going by Godfrey."
"Copy, P370 okay though the work limits at CH151.1!"

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And then my absolute favorite:

"Zee one fiddy one north, clear WAAAAAATSON!. Zee one fiddy one ouuut"

At Deshler "Were coming like a herd of turtles"

Once heard two crews get into an argument and one called the other a MotherF**cker

R.W Merideth to another worker when they were doing tie replacement in Ypsi

(merideth) "Are wwe gonna' have to work tomorrow (sunday)?"

"Just get the work done today and we'll see about tomorrow."

(M) "But worrying about tomorrow makes today a better day."

Words to live by.

Here's one from tonight:

Wyoming YM: "You're okay to take the signal and back onto your train. Even lead zone is back to me, so you don't have to talk to Y290 unless you just want to say hi"
Q334: "haha okay, no even lead zone, no need to talk to Y290"
Wyoming YM: "I'm sure [employee name, Y290] would like a thank you though"
Q334: "Okay [chuckling]"

"I know the name of this song... B52s, love shack"

Quite frankly personal favorite is when we are linking EOT's.

"Take a Dump 1234"
"Here comes your Dump"
"And thats nice dump 1234"
"Roger that is a nice Dump on the 1234"