Railroad Forums 

  • scanner questions

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #254199  by BM6569
 
I would like to get a scanner so i can find out when the trains are in Lewiston Auburn. Does anyone know what the frequencies are for guilford and the SLR? Also, do they use a digital or regular scanner. Any suggestions on a hand-held one to get?
Thanks, Warren

 #254298  by Rockingham Racer
 
Here's what I have:
160.62 District 1 Road
161.25 ST police
160.38 District 1 Yard

I like Radio Shack products for handheld scanners, but you'll need another antenna in addition to the supplied rubber ducky if you want to receive distant signals.

 #254397  by MEC407
 
Radio frequencies for Pan Am Railways:

http://home.comcast.net/~petlick/grs.htm

Radio frequencies for St. Lawrence & Atlantic:

http://home.comcast.net/~petlick/SLR.HTM

 #254484  by Noel Weaver
 
I don't think Radio Shack puts out a particularly good scanner although
their newest ones might be better.
I think your best source for a scanner would be:

Scanner World
17 Interstate Avenue
Albany, New York, 12205

They put out a decent catalog from time to time.

1-800-476-8050

Noel Weaver

 #254562  by MEC407
 
I used to have a RadioShack Pro 79... worked great until somebody stole it. :(

 #254852  by GP40MC 1116
 
Noel Weaver wrote:I don't think Radio Shack puts out a particularly good scanner although
their newest ones might be better.
I think your best source for a scanner would be:

Scanner World
17 Interstate Avenue
Albany, New York, 12205

They put out a decent catalog from time to time.

1-800-476-8050

Noel Weaver

Regardless of which type of scanner you have you'll do the best it can do. See in order to pick up some stuff, it depends on your equiptment (Scanner) and your antena , so basically how high it can catch the transmissions. I am not saying to go nuts, but if your on the run alot in the car chasing trains, a nice Radio Shack or Uniden or Bearcat Scanner would work wonders. And.. a nice chuckle out of this one, you can most likley program in your area FD/PD so you can see if the Police is out to get you (kidding) But a small handheld scanner is the way to go. I myslef have a desktop scanner which i am looking at replacing sooner or later with one of them huge digital deals, though they cost over 400 or more. But what i have now is good enough!

 #254875  by GP40MC 1116
 
Guilford Rail System/Pan Am Railways
Scanner Frequencies

161.520 Ch 1, train to dispatcher, districts 2, 3, 4
161.400 Ch 2, Yard
161.160 Ch 3, dispatcher to train, districts 2, 3, 4
161.310 Ch 4
160.620 Ch 5 road, disp., district 1
160.380 yard, MofW Rigby Yard
161.250 Ch 6 ex-B&M Police, Ch 3 Rigby Yard
161.370 Ch 17, MOW, ex-B&M lines
457.9375 EOT Device
161.115 NS EOT Device
160.230 Police
161.235 police (car to car), ex-B&M lines
160.350 police @ Boston
160.260 police (base to car), ex-B&M lines
160.440 Van @ Boston; N.Billerica Welded Rail Shop
160.320 MBTA Boston East Disp. Haverhill Line.
160.590 MBTA Boston West Disp. Lowell and Fitchburg Lines.
160.920 Amtrak Springfield Line Dispatcher

 #255295  by BM6569
 
Thanks for the help. When i go back to radio shack, I'll take a closer look at economical ones they had. There was a base model on sale for 70. I heard the pd and fd in the lewiston/auburn area and portland? have switched over to digital scanners.

 #255300  by GP40MC 1116
 
BM6569 wrote:Thanks for the help. When i go back to radio shack, I'll take a closer look at economical ones they had. There was a base model on sale for 70. I heard the pd and fd in the lewiston/auburn area and portland? have switched over to digital scanners.
Becides Radio Check, a great well known maker is below.. :)

http://www.uniden.com/products/index.cfm?cat=scanners

 #263896  by NellsChoo
 
Mine is a Uniden Bearcat 800mhz/50 channel handheld. It was a gift from my boyfriend, who's car has the REAL radios and antennas. My little scanner did a lot better when he hooked it up to an external antenna. And to the suprise of most people I tell, mine never runs out of juice! You can plug it in and recharge the AA's without removing them. A nice feature.

That is the extent of my knowledge. Oh, other than you will miss what you want to hear because you just drove out of range... HA! :( :(

 #265157  by jonnhrr
 
I have a Radio Shack PRO-82 which I bought on sale about 6 months ago and works for me. It is a basic 100 channel unit for less than $100.

If you want to pick up Fire and Police also in many areas you woudl need a scanner that can handle trunked systems as most large cities e,g, Boston, Worcester, even Cape Cod use. But for RR use only a basic system is fine.

Jon D