A B757-200 CREW DEPARTED PHL WITHOUT A CLRNC BECAUSE OF AN ACR CHKLIST FORMAT CHANGE AND PREFLT DISTRS.

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WE REQUESTED A CLRNC VIA THE ACARS DURING OUR PREFLT PREPARATIONS AND THEN READ THROUGH THE CHKLIST. UNFORTUNATELY; THE COMPANY HAS JUST CHANGED THE CHKLIST AND TAKEN THE XPONDER ITEM OUT OF THE PREFLT PORTION OF THE CHKLIST. THIS IS NORMALLY THE PLACE WHERE I XCHK THE XPONDER CODE WITH WHAT WE HAVE ENTERED AND ALSO THIS IS THE POINT IN THE CHKLIST WHERE WE ACTUALLY VERIFY THAT WE DO IN FACT HAVE A CLRNC. THIS IS A VERY BAD CHANGE TO THE CHKLIST AND SHOULD BE FIXED BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS OR YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THE PROBS WE ENCOUNTERED DEVELOP. THE ACARS PRINTED RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS 'NO DEP CLRNC MESSAGE ON FILE CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY WITH VOICE REQUEST.' AFTER THIS; THE FO WAS DISTR WITH OTHER PREFLT ACTIVITIES AND WE NEVER ENDED UP CALLING TO GET A VOICE DELIVERY OF THE CLRNC. AS IT GOT CLOSE TO DEP TIME; I NEVER NOTICED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLRNC AND THAT THERE WASN'T A XPONDER CODE DIALED INTO THE XPONDER BECAUSE IT'S NOW SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T CHK BECAUSE YOU GUYS CHANGED OUR CHKLIST. WHEN THE 10 MIN DRILL CHKLIST WAS READ; THE RESPONSE IS 'XPONDER? TA/RA.' IT WAS PLACED TO TA/RA AND ONCE AGAIN WE NEVER CAUGHT THE FACT THAT A CODE OTHER THAN 2000 WAS ENTERED INTO THE BOX THEREBY REMINDING US TO PICK UP THE VOICE CLRNC. WHEN WE CALLED FOR PUSH; GND GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE AND ATC ASKED US TO ENTER THE CORRECT XPONDER CODE THAT IT OCCURRED TO US THAT WE WERE NEVER ISSUED A CLRNC. WE ASSUMED THAT ATC'S COMPUTERS MUST HAVE GENERATED A CLRNC ON THEIR END AS A RESULT OF OUR ORIGINAL PDC REQUEST. YOU GUYS IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING US ON THE LINE WITH GOOD CHKLISTS. I SEE THIS WHOLE DEAL LYING AT THE FEET OF WHOEVER CHANGED A VERY GOOD CHKLIST INTO WHAT IS NOW A REALLY BAD CHKLIST. PLEASE CHANGE THE CHKLIST BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS; SO THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.