Naming trains?

[railohio]

Back in the day one way of getting fired was not using the train number or symbol while calling signals or calling the 'spatcher.

It's not part of their rules to do so. BNSF and Union Pacific trains are identified by lead locomotive over the radio. Different railroads, different rules. And they only call less-than-clear signals over the radio, too, and many of their defect detectors talk on defects only now. It's possible for a train to get from Galesburg to Joliet without making a peep on the radio.