How to Learn to Send and Receive Railroad Radio Messages

Learning to understand and transmit radio is a lot harder than it sounds. There are many complex, detailed procedures that need to be followed, and there is a very special verbiage that they use. It's just not lingo that we use every day. When my husband was in training with the railroad, he had to work hard to learn to transmit and receive railroad verbiage. While he was struggling to learn to transmit and receive in a way that sounded like a professional railroader, he learned a few strategies to help the process along. Whether you are an avid model railroader, or a Class 1 railroad new-hire, these steps can really cut down your railroad radio learning curve:

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a railroad scanner or frequent access to the internet
• software to record streaming audio from the web
• blank track warrants
• lots and lots of time to practice

1. Break the radio verbiage scripts given out in class down into manageable bites. Learn how to call the dispatcher. Learn how to identify yourself. Learn how to request a track warrant. Learn how to okay the time on a track warrant. All of these could be learned as one conversation, but it is easier to practice each section separately and then put it all together later.

2. Listen to railroad radio transmissions, trying to understand as much as possible. Practice filling out the track warrants as you hear them broadcasted. In the old days, you needed a scanner to do all of this. Nowadays there is a website that has live streaming audio from railroad scanners. Check out the railroad radio website listed below to listen in on real railroad radio transmissions.

3. If you really want to practice, it helps to hear the same transmission repeatedly. The dispatchers and train crews speak very quickly, and there is lots of background noise, so if you aren't accustomed to listening to railroad radio transmissions, you won't understand most of what you hear. But listening repeatedly will really help. We found a free software application that records streaming audio from the web. It's been working GREAT for us. Here's where you can get a free 30 day demo: http://www.applian.com/replay-music/demo.php -- That should be enough to record as much railroad chatter as you'll ever need to learn to use the radio.

4. There's a neat model railroading website that is dedicated to people who run their model railroads like real railroads. They use track warrants, etc., just like real railroads. They provide close-ups of their track warrants and transcripts of radio transmissions. It may be model railroading, but it is a useful simulation to help you get the right mindset. The model railroad site is here: http://s145079212.onlinehome.us/rr/operations/index.shtml

Tips & Warnings

• Get someone to practice with you. Role play together. It will help you lose your fear of sounding like a dweeb on the radio.
• Make transcripts of conversations you record. Then use them as scripts to practice from.

Resources

• http://www.railroadradio.net/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
• http://www.applian.com/replay-music/demo.php
• http://s145079212.onlinehome.us/rr/operations/index.shtml