"Operator A is Down..."


U

UP2CSX

Fleeing from Al
Anyone else been hearing this on the CSX or other railroad channels? The message is obviously sent by computer and says something like "CSX 4184, Operator A is down...", repeated three times. I heard Operator A, Operator B, and Operator C. I've never heard a response to these messages. It sounds like the Code 33 buttons we had on our portable radios. If we pressed the button, it cleared the air for us in an an emergency. If the radio didn't detect any movement for 60 seconds, it would send an officer down message with our last known location. I don't know if this is the case with the CSX radios, if it indicates a problem with the locomotive...or what? :confused:
 
Sounds like remote a control locomotive. When a belt pack RC controller is tilted to a certain degree it will stop movement immediately. Since you heard 3 they have obviously set down the belt packs for maybe a break or something to insure nothing can start movement while away from the equipment, or maybe as a way of going in between cars.
 
Josh, that makes perfect sense, since I know they use RC engines in the Montgomery yard. I just never connected the messages to radio control before. It sounds like the message goes through a repeater since I can hear it loud and clear here, about 20 miles away, and I can hear the repeater disconnect tone at the end of the message.
 
I've been wondering about that, too. I here it alot from BNSF Finley Yard in Birmingham. Repeats 3 times, "Operator A is down!". Sometimes, operator "B".
 
I went to my book "Birmingham Rails" to straighten this out.
You know, the old Southern Yard (before Norris was constructed) was called Finley. We always called the (then) Central of Georgia/Illinois Central/Frisco joint yard Finley Yard because it ran parallel to Finley Ave., but it is referred to as the East Thomas Joint Yard in the book. Glad you prompted me to get that straightened out!
I've never heard the "Operator ? is down" message on any of my NS frequencies, but I spend more time listening to BNSF. NS and CSX do enter the yard (I'll here-on-out refer to as East Thomas) from the east end pretty often picking up and dropping cars.
 
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I just heard that message on CSX while my radio was locked on 160.980, the road channel for the River Line.
Just as UP2CSX described it.

I was a bit anxious for a minute, expecting some sort of emergency transmission, but none came. There was no talk whatsoever in regards to any emergency, or anything else out of the norm.

I live near CP10, which is only 10 miles from North Bergen yards, so after reading this thread, figure it came from either there, or maybe Oak Island yard in Newark.

I found this thread by Googling "operator a is down", and was surprised to find anything.

FW
 
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