Updated 2009.11.06
Bote's National Capital Area Train Chaser's Guide
Maps, Maps, and More Maps
Overview Maps
Lots of trainage in the greater D.C. area.
It's only about CSX right now because that is all I know about in D.C., plus the fact that NS really does not have a large presence around old B&O territory. That is as it should be. NS hauls coal to the former P.E.P.Co generating 'Station C' in Alexandria using a spur off the RF&P and across Slater's Lane.
View overview map of the greater Baltimore, Washington, Brunswick triangle.
View close-up map of Washington, D.C. trainage.
View localizer map of Brunswick area.
CSX
Radio Frequencies
In a populous metropolitan area like D.C., a good receiver is essential to minimize interference and maximize reception of the desired radio signal. Scanners are mostly useless near strong transmitters, such as paging, taxi, and business two-way users. Some amateur radio transceivers make fair railroad receivers, but the best bet is commercial grade two-way L.M.R. (Land Mobile Radio) equipment. It's expensive, but worth it.
| Subdivision | Dispatcher |
Frequency | AAR Ch. | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol | BC AU | 160.23 | 08 | road channel |
| 160.32 | 14 | dispatcher channel (Baltimore, MD) | ||
| Landover | BC NI | 161.07 | 64 | road channel (Benning yard) |
| 161.34 | 82 | dispatcher channel (Baltimore, MD) | ||
| Metropolitan | BC AU | 160.23 | 08 | road channel |
| 160.32 | 14 | dispatcher channel (Baltimore, MD) | ||
| RF&P | BD CQ | 161.55 | 96 | road channel |
| 160.41 | 20 | dispatcher channel (Baltimore, MD) | ||
| Amtrak | 160.68 | 38 | Auto Train operations (Lorton, VA) | |
| 161.1 | 66 | Auto Train operations (Lorton, VA) | ||
| 160.845 | 49 | Amtrak on-board chat | ||
| 160.92 | 54 | Amtrak Northeast Corridor home | ||
| 452.9375 | head-of-train transponder | |||
| 457.9375 | end-of-train transponder |
Hulcher on-the-spot wreck cleaners — 43.04 MHz nationwide
Defect Detectors
After the “redman” e.o.t. data frequencies, the defect detector is the railfan's best friend, alerting you of approaching trains and even telling you the length or axle count.
These d.d.s on CSX can be heard suprisingly well around town:
Metropolitan subdivision:
BA2.6 “Corridor Integrity Monitor” — announces whether a MetroRail train has violated sacred CSX space, and vice-versa; near Riggs Rd. and South Dakota Ave. N.E. where the Motorola shop used to be.
BA8.4 — Yet another Corridor Integrity Monitor. It is very necessary to monitor integrity in the Nation's Capital.
BA11.6 “Kensington” — just northwest of Connecticut Ave. near a color position lamp signal.
BA24.3 “Clopper” — with a name like Clopper, it has to be good!
BA72.1 “Catoctin” — just west of Point o' Rocks, MD.
Capitol subdivision:
CFP120.5 “Tanglewood” high car detector — on the Alexandria extension, a.k.a. 'The Branch'.
CFP120.4 “Tanglewood” dragging equipment detector — on the Alexandria extension.
BAA33.7 “Hyattsville” — just south of JD tower and the wye.
BAA21.7 “Contee” — near the Contee Weather Station.
RF&P subdivision:
CFP110.1 (QL138.9) “Rosslyn” — detects high & wide loads before they tear up or get torn up through the tunnel in D.C. There is also an A.E.I. car scanner here.
CFP106.5 “Slater's” — Slater's Lane, Alexandria; triple track through here, can you believe it?! OOOOOOOOOOVER!
Passenger Trains
There is little point in me trying for accuracy or completeness in these listings since the carriers themselves list their own train schedules. These are provided only as a rough guide.
V.R.E. — Virginia Railway Express
Amtrak
Amtrak sends many passenger trains in each direction every day. As Amtrak does not enjoy the cooperation of its host railroads nor is its future certain, please consult the Amtrak web site linked here for the latest schedule information. In any case, arrival times listed here are more prayer than reality.
Amtrak reporting marks: AMTK
| Symbol | Name | Via RR | Arrives (WAS Union Station) |
Departs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P019 | Crescent sb | NS | 18:40 | |
| P020 | Crescent nb | NS | 09:50 | |
| P029 | Capitol Limited wb | CSX Met | 17:20 | |
| P030 | Capitol Limited eb | CSX Met | 13:00 | |
| P050 | Cardinal eb | NS | 20:00 | |
| P051 | Cardinal wb | NS | 12:40 | |
| P052 | Auto Train nb (Lorton) | CSX RF&P | 08:30 (LOR) | |
| P053 | Auto Train sb (Lorton) | CSX RF&P | 16:00 (LOR) | |
| P079 | Carolinian sb | CSX RF&P | 10:30 | |
| P080 | Carolinian nb | CSX RF&P | 17:05 | |
| P089 | Palmetto sb | CSX RF&P | ||
| P090 | Palmetto nb | CSX RF&P | ||
| P091 | Silver Star sb | CSX RF&P | 13:42 | |
| P092 | Silver Star nb | CSX RF&P | 15:00 | |
| P097 | Silver Meteor sb | CSX RF&P | 18:00 |
|
| P098 | Silver Meteor nb | CSX RF&P | 10:00 |
Freight Trains
This is one of the busiest stretches of track around, a “Folkston Funnel” of the mid-Atlantic. For the best information open the Pacer Farm in a new tab so that we don't disappear on you, then look for “Train-finding tools”.
CSX Freight Trains — Georgia Railfan has saved the BullSheet from extinction so that we all have this valuable resource to look up which train runs where.