After returning to the hobby after a 30 year hiatus, I was constructing some USRA two bay hopper kits from Accu-Rail, and noticed that they did not include hand brake wheels, but did have brake levers mounted on the end frame.
I did some cursory research on a PRR site (my freelanced protype) and every builder’s drawing (through the transition era) showed a handwheel.
My question is: did brake levers replace or duplicate (except for location) handwheels.
Appreciate the assistance, and have found the forum very informative.
My hunch is that the USRA cars might have been built or desgined with ratchet type levers in mind and equipped with brake wheels either at the preference of the railroad that owned them or during rebuilds.
Lever type hand brakes are lawful (autoracks have them for example).
An article about hopper car modifcations in this publication of the Chicago & North Western Historical Society talks about filling in the ratchet lever opening and installing the piping etc for a brake wheel. Go to page 7
Dave: Thank-yo for the timely and informative reply. I read the link you posted and it seems that your analysis is correct. I certainly don’t consider myself a “rivet counter” but the absence of a brake wheel is a pretty obvious (and easily corrected) error that I believe I will go ahead and install them. Also, lesson learned, kit manufacturers cannot possibly duplicate the many variations of a “standard” design, so in the future I’ll view the kit as a point of departure. Thanks again, Rick S.
During that time period cars could have either brakewheels or the “rachet” type handle brake. If your research shows that the railroad the car is lettered for used brakewheels, then by all means go ahead and change it. But be aware it’s not necessarily an “error”, the car might have been delivered with a rachet hand brake and had a brakewheel installed later when the brake system was updated.