A Practical Guide to Monitoring Freight Train Schedules
Freight trains play a key role in transporting goods across the country. If you've ever waited at a crossing and wanted to know when trains come through, you can learn their schedules to plan around them. This guide outlines how to gather the necessary details and use online tools to track freight trains.
By Finley Davis4 steps
Freight train moving in rural area
Goods and merchandise would be hard to come by without freight trains. The freight train industry makes it possible to move products conveniently throughout the country. If you've ever been held up at a railroad crossing and wished you had known the train's schedule, you could then steer clear of the tracks during that time. All you need to do is find the schedule and avoid the tracks when a train is due.
Step 1
Note the time when a freight train goes past a particular track. This time will serve as the basis for tracking a freight train's schedule.
Step 2
Determine the train's direction of travel by using the sun's position, a pocket compass, or a car's satellite system.
Step 3
Find the freight train company's name on multiple cars. Keep in mind that you want the name of the freight train company, not the company whose products are being shipped (See Resource 1).
Step 4
Use an online train location finder (See Resource 2). Each site may ask for different details. Have ready the train's time, direction, company name, and train number if you can find it. If you cannot find the train number, simply look up a train's number on the train locator's site and compare it with the location of the train you are tracking.
