Western Railroad Discussion > Train Symbols and how to tell which train is which

I know how to read the train numbers and train symbols such as Q-RVWC would be a UP quality train or manifest heading from Roseville Yard to West Colton Yard. 
What I would like to know is if there is a resource where I can learn how to know what train is which when I seem while spotting. 
Would this be through just listening to scanners or are there records of what trains services run where and the frequency?
I liive in Eugene so I am up in Pengra Pass often on the Cascade and Brooklyn Sub-Divisions.

Regards

I understand your curiousity about train symbols but what you need is propriety information and is not available to the public.

JB - Omaha

Copy19 Wrote:
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> I understand your curiousity about train symbols
> but what you need is propriety information and is
> not available to the public.
>
> JB - Omaha

Thank you JB. I figured this would be the case. I imagine then the only way to really know is to either work for the Railroad or know someone who does.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

The best immediate resource you have is a scanner, and getting out there and watching and observing. Certain trains (especially intermodal and merchandise) tend to show up in certain windows and tend to have consistent pieces of traffic if you look hard enough. Once you notice patterns, things will tend to fall into place. For example, a morning westbound around Pittsburgh on the NS for years was the 17G, which was noticeable for all the covered coil steel gons it usually carried. Of course, every time you start to get a handle on things, changes happen. Railroads are ever evolving.

Posted from iPhone

I put a summary here of UP's LA&SL trains (L.A. to SLC)-  <https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4841857,4841857#msg-4841857&gt;

John Carr has BNSF Transcon train info here-  http://www.carrtracks.com/FlagTr101.htm  

mapboy

One of my observations during a few trips out west is that both UP and BNSF rarely mention symbols, they identify over the radio by lead engine number.

In contrast, both NS and CSX always use train ID / symbol, in addition to lead engine number, when identifying.

Drives me crazy when I'm out west, as I like to know the origin and destination of what I'm looking at.

As for the proprietary info comment, that's bullcrap.

sscannella Wrote:
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> One of my observations during a few trips out west
> is that both UP and BNSF rarely mention symbols,
> they identify over the radio by lead engine
> number.
>
They do tend to use symbols around the terminals.  At Barstow, BNSF westbounds around Daggett call the Router with their symbol and ask for yarding instructions.  I often hear symbols at Needles, but more often lead unit numbers there.

mapboy

Thank you DJ-12
This is what I have started doing and basically making notes.
Thankfully I live only 5 minutes from the main rail yard here in Eugene and as such I pass it daily so I can see what has arrived and what has left which helps. 
They also refuel trains and change crews here which help to see some of the trains.

Regards

Thank you Mapboy
That is one heck of a bunch of information. Very nicely compiled too.

Regards

sscannella Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of my observations during a few trips out west
> is that both UP and BNSF rarely mention symbols,
> they identify over the radio by lead engine
> number.
>
> In contrast, both NS and CSX always use train ID /
> symbol, in addition to lead engine number, when
> identifying.
>
> Drives me crazy when I'm out west, as I like to
> know the origin and destination of what I'm
> looking at.
>
> As for the proprietary info comment, that's
> bullcrap.

Yes this is what I have noticed for a long time here in the west. 
Sometimes if you can catch the right dialogs you will catch the conductors talking with the yard masters and dispatchers when they are starting the train from it origin point they will give a full train discription. 
Other than that no chance.

Regards