LIRR radio

Hi. I was listening to my scanner tonight, and I heard the engineer of a train calling the tower to certify. Does anyone know why they do this? Do other railroads operate this way? Thanks.

Although this should of been posted on the LIRR Forum, certification iirc means that the engineer has propertly tested the brakes and that they work correctly. Since your in inwood, I'm assuming it was a train coming out of Far Rockaway, calling Valley Tower to certify?

I live near the far Rockaway Branch. I mostly hear valley Tower and Lead Tower.

Inwood should be a good spot for scanning, and you should hear alot more besides the LIRR, especially if you're near the water. Amtrak, the subway, Metro-North, not to mention the freight roads in NJ, if you have a decent antenna. Good luck with the scanning...

Also, the train was reporting that his speed control gear (ASC) was tested. Some roads have this or a variation of this (Amtrak calls it "ACES" or ASCES), but some do not, such as the subway. Poke around in the archives of each forum (LIRR, Amtrak, etc.) and you may find answers to your questions...

Thanks for the info. I have a small stock antena , now. I should invest in a better antenna.