Re: Emergency Braking Was: Re: Beresfield Accident Findings

[telljb@ozemail.com.au (Tell)]

mccallum@melbpc.org.au (John McCallum) wrote:
>Do any US railroads use brake control vehicles on the rear of their trains?
>On the Telford-Port Augusta coal trains (124 vehicles) a brake wagon is the 
>last vehicle. It contains a diesel air compressor, large air reservoirs, and 
>radio equipment. It enables the brakes to be applied and released from both 
>ends of the train simultaneously. This would seem to reduce the effects of 
>emergency braking considerably.Emergency brake applications would still a 
>serious matter though.


124 vehicles on the Coalies.?  
Australian National had to use the compressor wagon
mainly because of leakage and long build up times after
applications, the compressor's in the Loco's were
working flat out keeping up.

Hammersley Iron run 200 wagon trains, the heaviest in
the World with all head end power (26,000 tonnes +)with
no brake wagon.!  BUT they run with higher brake pipe
pressures amongst other things.

Cheers

----Tell
Alice Springs NT