Recently while at Radio Shack to pick up some pilot lights for my model layout I splurged and bought a scanner that was on sale. Never realized so much went on over the airways!!

I have been listening in the Portland area and hear the BNSF and UP, sometimes clearly (which must be the base stations) and scratchier conversations from the trains. When listening to these, the radio starts resuming scanning almost immediately after the conversation ends.

However, one railroad that I hear from north of Vancouver clear down to Eugene comes in on 160.575 and 161.190 at the same time in different locations; at the north end the 161.190 is stronger and once you get south of Oregon City the 160.575 is stronger but you can still hear on both channels. It appears to be a shortline with a lot of maintenance of way work going on; I hear Tim Brian and Crain talking to a "6700 Tamper" "Engines 802 and 1202".

My question is: when they stop takling it takes the scanner ten seconds to resume scanning where on the UP and BNSF it is almost instant. Anybody know why this is happening???

Thanks for the help.