As Information Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On the RYPN forum, someone mentioned that Hunter
> Harrison did away with the "Three Step Protection"
> rule at CSX. After the Lac-Mégantic disaster,
> cutting safety seems like the last thing a CEO
> would do. I find it unbelievable.
>
> Rypn.org]
>
> On CSX, and I can only comment about their rule
> from personal experience, Three Step Protection
> is:
>
> 1) Throttle off, reverse lever centered, which
> prevents throttle from being moved from off.
>
> 2) Full independent (locomotive) brake applied;
> automatic (train) brakes applied as needed.
>
> 3) Generator Field switch opened (off). (Prevents
> power from being sent to traction motors.)
>
> Now, I've talked to friends from other railroads,
> one in supervision, who will tell you that Three
> Step Protection is nonsense, and does nothing to
> improve safety, but I think it is at least a
> prompt to be more aware, especially at 3 am in the
> middle of a 12 hour switching job. I certainly
> felt a greater sense of safety going between cars
> as a conductor knowing my engineer had done those
> things, and as an engineer I felt reassured that I
> was doing everything I could to ensure the safety
> of anyone working between cars.
>

Red zone it's called on the Upee and on others its just "air".