Baofangs work just fine, and are pretty durable. A lot of these guys are just grumpy because when they're growing up they had to have a summer job and save up just to buy a radio that could do a quarter of the things a song can do. I helped someone on a tourist Railroad out with theirs and they love it.

No, Baofengs are junk, pure junk. Run it through a spectrum analyzer or service monitor, dare you too, I have and in my lab, none would pass type acceptance. They also will not comply with digital modes either 12.5 or 6.25 khz nxdn. Perhaps one isn't angry about working a summer job to buy a real radio, perhaps one hasbover a decade of experience as an engineer for telecommunication in the railroad industry, over half a decade in public safety... Baofeng is bad advice, look for a more modern subscriber set used by class 1 carriers. The HT1000 is a great radio, but also rather old, the icom idas subscribers never felt right to me but are a decent radio, the winner for railroad use would be a class 1 or otherwise used nx200. Save the $25 for a baofeng and pick up something that will last for years

Here is a link to the FCC info sheet on narrow band radios. If you're working with a rail operation, they will be in a band requiring use of NB radios:

https://www.fcc.gov/narrowbanding-overview

Rail operations do come under FCC scrutiny. A rail line in KY about 20 years ago had the FCC visit them and listen in to their radio traffic. They informed said RR to clean up their comms and they would return in 60 days. They warned upon return anyone not using proper radio procedures would be issued an individual fine for violating the rules. It was fixed.

When I was with TVRM, we had to review our FCC license to determine if privately owned radios could be operated on our license or if they had to be on their own license. Turned out that our license permitted a predetermined number of mobile radios and two base stations, so they were covered when being used on the railroad.

I am getting info that the UV-5R is Part 90 approved this is intresting.

Not all Boafeng UV-5Rs are Part 90 approved:

08/02/2018
The FCC has issued a Citation and Order (Citation) to Amcrest Industries, LLC (formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive Baofeng hand-held transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices. The FCC asserts that Amcrest marketed Baofeng model UV-5R-series FM hand-held radios capable of transmitting on “restricted frequencies.” The Baofeng models UV-5R and UV-5R V2+ were granted an FCC equipment authorization in 2012 to operate under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service (Land Mobile) rules.

“Under § 2.803 of the Commission’s rules, an entity may not market a device that is capable of operating outside the scope of its equipment authorization,” the FCC Citation said. “RF devices that have been authorized under Part 90 rules, such as the model as issue, must operate within the technical parameters established in those rules.” The FCC also maintained that the UV-5R 2+ is capable of operating at 1 W or 4 W, while the Part 90 Equipment Authorization limits the power output to 1.78 W.

Amcrest conceded that the units were capable of operating on restricted frequencies but told the FCC that, per discussions with the manufacturer, were “only capable of operating at 1 W, the FCC said. The company instructed the manufacturer to fix the problem and later confirmed with the manufacturer that all Amcrest inventory on order and in the future would operate only on 145 – 155 MHz and 400 – 520 MHz.

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-cites-baof ... rf-devices

Okay. Now you're going to wander into FCC regulations covering who can use what type of transceiver for what purpose. YOU opened this can of worms, not me.

If you thought FRA, CFR, and other rail regulations were arcane and bogged down with nit-picking details the public will never understand, you ain't see nothing yet.......

If you would like but one example of what is a rancorous back-and-forth online over the supposed legality or illegality of JUST the Baofeng UV-5R model alone:

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/20 ... adios.html

Welcome to the radio version of "why can't the Class One RR handle my old passenger car over its line? They used to be fine with it; it fits the track...."

The professionals in "business two-way radio" and my fellow radio technicians eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff. Go to them with your needs, and they will have a suitable answer for you, both in means and equipment. They're typically not looking to gouge you, and if you tell them your non-profit, "educational" mission they may be able to find you a suitable answer cheap, like a package retired by a commercial customer that upgraded.

Of course, you can TRY to run your operation with family-channel "talkabouts." But that'll go over as well as the guys that were trying to run a major downtown pop-culture/comic convention with them--it almost came to endangering some people.