I too found the track story interesting being an old MOW man myself…Also there were several crew changes on these episodes that they dont dicuss,rather put something like the welded rail,scrap yds and cleaning out steam engine boilers …
I just watched the Modern Marvels and realized I don’t know something. There aren’t any hump yards around here, so I never thought about it.
When they push them over the hump, how come the brakes on the humped car don’t lock down as soon as the air line seperates?
I agree. In these shows Matt should of explained what crew districts are and that unlike truckers train crew don’t stay with their charges for the entire length of a trip on long distance hauls.
He should explain that CSX handles the train from Chicago to Selkirk and Rotterdam NY. Maybe show thw hand off in Chicago and set a couple of trackside shots of the train on the B&O main through Indiana and Ohio and also on the “Water Level Route” through upstate NY they could secure a cabride on CSX.
The Steamtown shots were irrelavent to the subject. If he wanted to show how RR’s are ecofriendly he should explain the different contemporary model of locomotives like the GEVO’s
Because the train goes into the receiving yard first, where the cars are inspected and the brake system is bled off (at least we hope so).
Until his retiring day, we never let one guy forget what happened when he cut the air in on a track in the receiving yard before pulling it up to the hump. When he cut off the engine…Wham! He had to walk the entire 70-some cars, bleeding them off.
In a Hump Yard
When your humping cars,I didnt think the air hoses are even connected? Making up trains and sending a car here and a car there dont make since to connect the hoses til you got your train built… The retarder slows the car enough that it wont damage the others …I thot…Am I misinformed on this?
Let’s try this again…
A train from off the main line comes in to the receiving yard, where it is inspected and bled off before it goes to the hump (this holds true no matter how many receiving-yard tracks a longer train takes). No reason to break the trainline in the receiving yard, beyond cuts made to the train to double it, remove blocks, etc.
The cars go up to the hump lead with no air cut into them (in most cases–except for things like the frustratingly hilarious situation I previously mentioned). The cars could be shoved out, or, if necessary, pulled up the lead and left for either the same power or another hump set to tie on. No air in the train line, but still no need to break the hoses.
When the humping begins, the pin-puller makes the required cuts, and as the car breaks away, the air hoses separate of their own accord. No air in the system, so nothing untoward happens.
The cars roll down, are retarded, and join other cars of the same classification on a bowl track. Air hoses are generally not made, unless a multiple-car cut has come off the hump.
A pulldown job (called a “trim” job in nearly every yard except mine) couples the track and pulls the cars to the departure yard (often more than one track is taken out of the bowl, thus building a train with its separate blocks of cars). Some hoses are made to provide stopping power for the yard move, but most are still left separated.
In the departure yard, the cuts are inspected, usually with “yard air” connected, and the hoses made as the inspectors move along the cut. After the inspection, the yard air is left on, building up the pressure in the trainline somewhat, saving time for the crew of the soon-to-depart road train.
When the road (or transfer) power ties on, they pump the air up to the desired trainline pressure, the
I watched my first, maybe my last episode tonight. There’s nothing EXTREME about the program except the contortions of the host barking at a camera that seems to be operated by a submerged groundhog. What a lame, lame piece of schlock!
Carl, haven’t really followed this thread but after reading your post, I wonder what is the positive assurance that all brake line hoses are really connected when a made up train is about ready to travel…? With no air in cars reserve tanks…and then when all are connected to a made up train what is to prevent a block of cars {mistakenly}, to not have a charged air line…? } i e …an air hose not connected…
Hi Quentin,
I’m not a working Rail, but my understanding is that an uncoupled glad hand with the angle valve open, would not allow the air in the train line to build up, which the engineer would see on a gauge in the cab.
If an angle valve was closed mid train, the train line would build pressure to that point, but most FREDs also communicate train line pressure to the cab, so the engineer would again be aware that the train needs be inspected again, which a disconnected glad hand should have been caught in the initial train inspection.
Doug
Hi Doug:
Could the angle valve be in the closed position and charge the train…{most of it}, and then leave some without a charged air line, but also, without a charged reserve tank and still allow the cars to move…?
Hi Again Quentin,
Yes, that could happen, but most modern FREDs will send a signal to the cab indicating the train line pressure(or lack of) at the rear of the train, this would alert the engineer that he didn’t have a fully charged train, which should result in the train being “walked” to find the problem.
I believe, that it is a requirement that the train be “walked” before departure to inspect for things such as that. I would imagine that when the person inspecting the train reaches the rear, they would crack the angle valve to assure that there is air all the way to the back of the train. I do similiar to this when I pull doubles at work(Iam a truck driver) During my pretrip inspection, with the tractor brakes set, I release the trailer brakes and pull down on the trailer brake hand valve. Doing this charges both the SUPPLY line ( sometimes also called the EMERGENCY line) and the service line, this allows me to listen for air leaks while doing my Walk Around Inspection. Then when I get to the rear of the truck, I crack each of the Supply and Service valves at the back of the rear trailer checking for air pressure.
Recently doing this I was able to catch a closed service line valve on the back of the lead trailer, on a set of doubles that someone else had put together. If I hadn’t pulled the hand valve, I may have missed the closed valve, as on that trailer they are in a hard to see location, I could have left the yard with just the brakes on the front trailer only working. It was an empty return to Portland, OR from Tacoma, Wa I probably wouldn’t have had a problem stopping, but I don’t want to think about the ticket that I would have gotten if the Kelso weigh station had inspected me that day.
Doug
At the originating terminal where a train is made up, it receives an intial terminal test. Simply put, this requires that the train brake line is charged to a certain level indicated by an air gauge at the end of the train, to make sure air is all the way through the train. A working EOT can be used for the gauge or it can be a hand held gauge.
Once the train is charged to the required level, the brakes are set up and each car checked to make sure it’s brakes have applied. Once the entire train is checked, the brakes are released and again checked. The inspection for the release can be done while the train departs. Somewhere during this test brake pipe leakage is also checked. There are two methods that can be used, leakage can’t exceed 60 CFM or 5 psi per minute. Cars that have brakes that are defective are set out. At the initial terminal 100% of the brakes must be working before a train can depart.
At intermediate points, any new cars added must have the initial terminal test done to them. Cars already on the train normally don’t have to be inspected again. There are miliage limits that may require a train to be retested at some point. Also, if a train is disconnected from it’s air source for longer than 4 hours, an initial terminal test of all the cars off air is again required.
Any time the brake pipe is changed by adding or setting out cars or engines, a continuity test is performed. The brakes on the rear car must set and release. This can be done by visually inspecting the rear car, or by seeing a reduction on the EOT of 5 psi or more when the brakes are set and then a 5 psi or more when they are released fulfill this requirement.
Jeff
I watched two episodes over the weekend, the coal train episode on my computer and the reefer train episode on cable on Sunday. After reading all that has been written about the series, and having to agree that the host is really “over the top” with his enthusiasm, I really enjoyed my two episodes.
Very interesting Doug…Way back in the dark ages I was involved in testing transmissions on trucks and had a little experience with the air set up on tractor and trailer. Sounds like you did yourself a measure of safety by the good “walk around” inspection on your rig…One can stay healthy longer that way, for sure.
Hey Kids,What time is it ?
Its Extrreeeeeeeem Train Time ! With that over the top,over excited ,sometimes shouting host Maaattttt Brown ! Tonight on The History Ch. 10/9c
Hey, thanks - forgot all about it. Here’s the description - it’s UP 844:
“The Union Pacific’s historic 844 steam locomotive is the longest running steam train in America. Built in 1944, it has never been retired and still runs on UP’s mainlines today. The 844 is so popular that when it goes out on the tracks a huge traffic jam forms on the roads along side as people “chase the train.” Host Matt Bown rides the 844 on its annual outing that takes 750 rail fans from Denver to the biggest rodeo in the world in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This episode also looks at the gold rush of the 1850s.”
10:00 Pm Eastern Standard.
And, for those of you who didn’t see it the last time - or want to see it again - immediately following is:
Mega- Disasters: Glow Train Catastrophe - the possibility of a wreck of a nuclear waste train to Yucca Mountain, in the middle of Las Vegas.
From the reviews here the last time: Don’t fail to miss it !
- Paul North.
So I saw the first three episodes on ITunes and now the previous episode and tonights episode has not been loaded?? WTF?? I kind of enjoyed watching them and would atleast like to see the series. Anybody know when they are going to be uploaded to ITunes? Anywhere else I can see them on the net? I don’t have the History Channel so watching it on T.V. is out for me.
I miss this week episode again![banghead]
Just watched it, and Wow, great shots of that beautiful machine… The host was a bit obnoxious again, but wasn’t as bad as he has been. I feel that the complete lack of mention of Wyoming in thier Reefer episode was redeemed with the shots of Cheyenne and talk of the city. It also seems kind of fitting that they showed the Frontier Days Rodeo Train Episode on the 6th round Tuesday of the 50th Annual National Finals Rodeo. The only gripe I have is a big one… if you are gonna mention something historical get ALL the history… The gangplank was not “discovered” by Dodge, He enlisted the services of famed mountian man Jim Bridger who had used the route to get his wares from trapping as well as travellers over the Snowy, and Sierra Madre mountians. But even he did not discover it… It was origonally used by the Indians in their seasonal migrations. The Gangplank is actually an almost perfectly correlated surface sloping eastward starting at Rawlins, and then a portion is cut out by the valley now occupied by Laramie, and then resumes on Sherman hill, and drops into Cheyenne. In the morning I will find it in my notes and scan the diagram…
Agreed, The 844 is a beautiful and remarkable machine–as is the 3985. Steve Lee and his Steam Crew deserve much praise for their care, and feeding of these brutes. Matt Blum (the conductor, and narrator) is obnoxious in his exuberance. His script seems written mostly on a grade school level, what with the constant repetition of statements; statements which seem more to kill air time than inform. IMO I have found judicious use of the mute button seems to make the photography much more paletable. EXTREME TRAINS will never replace the dedicated video products, but it does help give one some enjoyment in the real world operations daily rail operations.[2c]