HAS BNSF STARTED USING THE NEW ELECTRONIC BRAKING ON CONTAINER STACK TRAINS? SAW ONE GO THRU GALESBURG IL…LOOKED LIKE WIRES ALONG AIR HOSES ?
Sorry to say I don’t know a thing about electronic braking on trains. Does it still have to use compressed air? Is it a kind of fly-by-wire system that electronically sends a signal thus relieving the engineer of most braking tasks?
Inquiring minds, etc. [D)] - a.s.
…I believe if the electronic part of the system fails…the original compressed air brake system works as any other would.
Believe the electronic part “dumps” the air simultaneously on each car to make a brake application…and maybe some more improvements of some kind…
Al, The way I understand it the trainline still charges the resevoirs, and if the EBC fails will still controll the triple valve. But with EBC controll the brake cylinder is charged by electronic command (speed of light) rather then air pressure command (speed of sound). Therefore brakes activate uniformly throughout the train.
BECAUSE CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.
From what I’ve read, with the Electronic Controlled brakes you can also reduce the amount of braking force without having to completely release the application. Reaction time in addition to being more uniform thru the train is quicker allowing shorter stopping distances.
Jeff
This is an interesting thread!
electronic brakes use the compressed air like normal ones do but the electronic ones put the brakes on all instantaneous instead of serially and stop trains much quicker
The other thing about it, once it takes air out of the main reservoir on the cars and puts it to the brake piston, the motors start charging the cars right back to where they were. With the way it works now, regular train, once you set the air it quits charging the train back up. Pretty much takes the fear of “pissing” your air away.
The other thing it does, takes some of the skill away needed to run a train. Bringing us that much closer to an Auto Pilot Computer running the train.
read in railway age that train traffic capacity can increase 25% on lines using this new tech. all the major rrs should have this on freight trains in a few years.
the bnsf has increased capacity on the transcon route by adding designated locomotives.
lots of great things going on in major railroading.[:)]
…Doesn’t each rail car have to contain some modification as well…?
Much information on electronic braking systems can be found with a web search for “ECP Brakes”. I didn’t dig too deep, but I believe the Booze Allen Hamilton study done for the FRA can be found on line.
A search could also bring up some fairly good explanations of how the “conventional” or “Westinghouse” air brake works.
Worthwhile if you want to understand the benefits of electronic brakes and also the costs and other obstacles to a rapid deployment of the system.