What is "three-step protection?"

While listening to the scanner while fanning, I hear the phrase "three step". Now I know this is when the conductor is coupling/uncoupling cars in the yard, but what does it really mean?

Thanks all

step one= Brakes set
step two = reverser centered
step three = Generator field off.

all will prevent movement of train, so a person can go under or betweeen cars.

And it's not just in the yard. Anytime that the plane of the train is broken, closing angle cocks, hanging an eot, setting or releasing hand brakes, the conductor MUST get 3 step. And the engineer can't release 3 step until the conductor tells him to and that he is in the clear.

If he was listening to Amtrak, the steps would look like this:
Step one: brakes applied, movement fully stopped
Step two: reverser centered (possibly removed)
Step three: HEP shut down, verified on IFD/control panel

The gen field doesn't apply on Amtrak........

What is meant by generator field off and HEP shut down?

Generator field is control switch for propulsion circuit, with it down the train cant move, if brakes are also set.
The HEP is shut down so person who has to go between cars would not get blasted by a chaffed cable carrying 480 volt AC.

3 step protection is something that CN does not have and I find to be overkill.

gp9rm4108 wrote:3 step protection is something that CN does not have and I find to be overkill.

Till your engineer starts moving the train with you between the cars.

CN and UP just don't shut off the generator field. They are just "set and centered."

CN doesn't even have set and centred. Cndr just says that'll do I'm cuttin' em in.

please note that north of the Canuck border the FRA rules no longer apply.

gp9rm4108 wrote:CN doesn't even have set and centred. Cndr just says that'll do I'm cuttin' em in.

It must be a Canadian thing, because down here you tell the engineer you need to go between and they tell you set and centered.

It depends on what railroad you are on and what rulebook they use, as well as what their safety personnel dictate.

All US railroads *must* comply with SOFA rules, which includes verifying that the reverser is centered and the brakes are set before any person goes in between cars. The methods vary. Some roads allow a visual acknowledgement of a hand sign, some allow an acknowledgement of a hand or lantern sign with a whistle signal. Others require a verbal interchange over the radio. The method varies, the meanings and purposes are the same.

"Three step protection" is one of a number of ways to do it. UP uses "Red Zone". Other carriers still use "in-between" responded to with "set and centered". I do agree that "three step" is overkill, as some places were teaching it as "conductor requesting three step protection" with a response of "three step protection is applied". I swear some of the younger managers/trainers just don't understand what "radio overload" is. Yet.

3 point is used in Canada. I work on the D&H, and I am on run into ST. Luc yard. It is used. When a carknocker is involved it is 3 point plus remove the reverser handle.

"Brakes set" does that mean the train brake or just the independent brake ? Joe