Hello all!   
      
   In the past couple of days, I've been hearing something new on the   
   scanner - a talking switch.  I've heard detectors before, but this was   
   new to me.   
      
   At least one of the switches in the next town east on the Kansas City   
   Southern has been radio-operated for a while.  The engineer or conductor   
   could key in some numbers on their radio, which were transmitted as DTMF   
   on the air.  Once the switch actually moved, it would transmit a short   
   single-tone beep as an acknowledgement.   
      
   Now, the DTMF still tells the switch to move, but the switch then keys   
   up and says something like   
      
   KCS We(beep) Grain Valley switch milepost four sixty four.   
   Switch is lined normal.   
   Switch is lined normal.   
   KCS West Grain Valley switch out.   
      
   The other phrases I have heard are "Switch is lined in reverse" and   
   "Switch is returned to auto".  So far, it repeats the phrase twice.  It   
   also still transmits the previous acknowledgement beep, on top of the   
   voice recording, near the start of the recording.  It has a male voice   
   that sounds like a recording - not synthesized.   
      
   Matt Roberds   
      
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