Newbie question, most likely… Is the brake wheel on freight cars located towards the front or rear of the train, or does it matter?
Thanks,
Kent
Where the brake wheel of an individual car is, in relation to placement in a train, is totally non-critical. A car moving in a train will have its hand brakes fully released, since failing to release them would result in excessive drag, excessive brake shoe wear and possible wheel damage.
What is critical is the placement of the hand brake in relation to the brake equipment on the underside of the car. The end with the hand brake (B end) will be the end where a direct pull on the chain attached to the wheel will extend the piston of the brake cylinder. The end away from the brake cylinder’s piston is the A end. That is important to remember when assembling car kits with separate floors, or when building from scratch.
Chuck (who models freight cars with foot brakes)
Depends on the period.
Back before the advent of the air brakes on trains, they would try to “pair” the brakewheels, ie. have the cars aligned so that two brake wheels would be end to end in the train so it was easier for the Brakeman to tighten up two in quick succession before running over the tops of the cars to the next brake wheel or pair of wheels.
After the air brakes were common practice, the position in the train didn’t matter. They are only used as parking brakes as stated above.