Also known as "three step protection" on other roads?
I live about 6 miles from the CSX Avon Yard. The primary yard channel (AAR 58 160.980MHz) can be very busy at times with the Hump Yardmaster and the Tower 2 Yardmaster giving directions to inbound and outbound trains, respectively. Busy enough that the hump and puller crews are on different channels.
It all depends on where you live.
I was being rather simplistic
Where I work, we have a dedicated frequency for:
Inbound / Outbound trains
Hump
Bowl
Diesel ramp
Car department
Maintenance in the way
Signal department
Terminal Dispatcher / Road
North Dispatcher
South Dispatcher
West Dispatcher
There is constant chatter on most of those frequencies and it can be rather entertaining at times. And that is just at one yard on one railroad. There is several other yards within radio range.
But you're not going to hear much where the OP is.
I'm not positive what three step is, but I believe it is the same as our "Red Zone", but we have many different meanings for red zone depending on the craft.
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