Every car has an “A” end and a “B” end. The “B” end is the brake end of a car. The question is: is there a set convention that would dictate that the “B” end should in the direction of the back of a consist?
Or in other words, in relation to a pulling engine, should the brake end of a car be pointed toward the back end of a train.
Constructive comments please.
The cars can be turned either way, it makes no difference.
No difference what so ever.
It might be good to have the brake mechanism near the coupler at which you cut the car.
All freight cars have only one brake pipe ( air line ) it does not matter which way the air is coming from, ie, the a or b end. However if a repair has to be made to a frt car, its importent to reference which side and end. Being the only outward appearence of a frt car was the brake wheel it was called the B end.
Lets say we were caremen and our Bad Order repair stated, broken weld at the left front cross brace, we would know which end and side to repair without examining all four corners of it.
jwar: Your explanation makes it clear the brake end can be either front or rear. However, in your last paragraph about the broken weld at the left front… there is no way to discover whether the A or B end was at the front. Can you clarify?
Trivia Question,
Which is the right side and which is the left?
1000 bonus points to the member with the first correct answer.
Daveinga - the B end is the end of the car with the brake wheel, regardless of whether it’s facing the front or rear of the train.
… if you’re standing looking AT the B end - left is left and right is right … right ?
Mark.
Mark,
What are going to do with your 1000 bonus points you get for havong the correct
answer first?
You are standing on the track looking at the B end of the cars . The right side of the car is to your right and the left is to your left. If you’re looking at the A end reverse the above.
A few roads would put a (very) small R or L, usually near the door to indicate right or left. Other than locating repairs it might also be necessary to know which side was right or left if the car was loaded in a manner that required one side to be unloaded before the other