Monitoring UP/BNSF into central Portland- which channels + is Lake Yard ARES still up?

[edisking]

Portland local here, trying to predict when freight is about to block the NW crossings (Naito, NW 19th) so I can reroute before I get stuck. Building a little RTL-SDR setup to listen for trains coming into central Portland.

Right now I'm on 160.68 (Albina Yard) and 160.515 (Portland Sub). Working, but I've got some gaps and could use local knowledge:

1. What's the road channel for the Portland Terminal Railroad / Guild's Lake Yard? Can't find it in the RRDB.
2. I've seen old posts about data bursts on 161.325 - BNSF ARES off a tower at Lake Yard. Is that still up post-2025? Has anyone decoded it? If it's block occupancy that'd be gold for what I'm doing.
3. Which channel actually carries dispatcher authority for trains heading into central Portland vs. just yard chatter? Trying to catch a train while it's still a few miles out, not once it's already on top of the crossing.

Anything helps. Thanks.

 

[AK9R]

What's the road channel for the Portland Terminal Railroad / Guild's Lake Yard? Can't find it in the RRDB.

From the RadioReference Database:

 

[edisking]

Thank you! That's exactly what I was missing. 161.490 for PTRC ops plus 161.070 switching and 161.295 intermodal. I kept searching under UP and BNSF and never thought to check PTRC as its own agency.

Been learning the territory on the RailroadRadio.net Vancouver stream in the meantime. Great resource. Already catching detector broadcasts and Form B traffic. It doesn't carry PTRC though, so 161.490 waits for my own antenna.

Two follow-ups for anyone local:

1. Is the ARES data on 161.325 off the Lake Yard tower still alive? If that burst is block occupancy, it beats voice for what I'm doing.

2. Movements over the NW crossings (Naito, NW 9th): worked on PTRC 161.490, or under DS01 on 160.515? Trying to learn which channel hears a train a few miles out vs. one already sitting on the crossing.

Appreciate the help.

 

[salvay0n]

Check out the ITCMon thread for more information. PTC does not show occupancy, but you will be able to see signal aspects and routes.