I just finished reading a very interesting article in the latest POST published by the Penn Central Historical Society, which I got in the mail a week or two ago. They have some great write-ups and recollections of PC employees and fans - I really enjoy the publication.
The article described a typical train operation to the Jensie coal mine in eastern Ohio on the PC’s Minerva branch. The author describes in the article how the conductor in the caboose would bleed-off some air from the brakes to communicate with the engineer, because they didn’t have radios and did not use lanterns (the train’s route from Phillips, OH to the Jensie mine was routinely performed using a reverse move).
The article didn’t state why lanterns weren’t used.
In one instance the conductor would bleed-down the air pressure to a certain level to let the engineer know they were lining the switches. When that was done, he’d close the anglewiener and let the air build-up again to let the engineer know they were ready to proceed.
Does anybody on the forum remember this kind of communication being prevalent on other lines in the pre-radio days?
NOTE TO CENSOR: “Anglewiener” was my edit to illustrate the fact that a common and perfectly acceptible term for a component of the Westinghouse Airbrake system was covered in asterisks in my posting.
Lanterns and hand signals were not used probably because of track curvature, yard obsticals, etc. But use of the air valve in the caboose I know was used to get the engineer attention. While I don’t believe there was a formal code or system, I do believe that each crew knew each other and had agreed upon signals. I know that on DL&W and D&H freight train caboose rides, the conductor would use the air to signal the engineer if train was going too fast, or as a reminder of an upcoming set off or desire to slow down to let a young railfan get off the train. Remember, passenger trains had a signal sytem through the communications cord with its own code system, usually: one, air test; two, start when stopped, stop when moving; three, when moving, stop at next station, when standing, back up. Use of such a code witht he brake system was not possible.
I am asking how the air pressure could build up again? In this case, with the train stopped, would the engineer have released the train brake and held the train using the locomotive brake only?
anglecock. one word
You wouldn’t “set” the air stopping the train. You would just bleed off a pound or two and hold it so that the engineer would see the difference. But if you didn’t get his attention with a one time reduction, you would turn it on and off so that his needle would be “waving” at him!
And if you did start the air compressor or stop the train then you certainly got his attention!
When the engine as the brake handle in the release position, it is feeding air into the brake pipe. The caboose also has a brake valve in it, similar to the one in the engine, just smaller. The caboose can make a reduction. This is noticed in the cab; the train takes more air, and the trainline goes down a bit.
On the end platforms of cabooses there is a small valve. It is connected to the trainline, and opening it a bit makes a whistle. During shoves, the conductor can use this to whistle for grade crossings, etc., and apply the brakes if needed.
I have heard of a crew using the brake pipe for signalling, to pull a car with a ripped out drawbar to a siding, using chains. A very extensive job briefing, for sure.
[quote]
Depend where you are whether the engineer had to leave the brakes set to hold it stopped or not. Most places with most trains, once stopped, the engine brakes will hold it stopped.
Usual procedure for coming out of a siding where the rear brakeman (flagman) had to re-line the switch for the main was for the emgineer to slow the train down to 5 mph or so when he knew the caboose was getting close to the switch. Most engineers were pretty good at knowing where to slow for the length of their train. After moving at 5 mph for 6 to 10 carlengths to let the brakeman re0line the switch and catch the caboose, the engineer would startt accelerating again.
If the brakeman had trouble lining the switch or the engineer misjudged the distance and began accelerating too soon then the conductor would partially open a brake valve in the caboose to set the brakes on the rear portion of the train and thus drag the train speed down. The engineer could feel this and also hear the increased air flow thru his brake valve in the cab. He might also see some air pressur
Before the use of radios, one way to make a move when hand signals couldn’t be used was to dump the air to stop and when the air came back up the engineman would move in the opposite direction. Kind of like the sequence reverser on the old Lionel trains. Of course everybody on the crew had to be “on the same page” to make it work.
One thing about the brake valves on cabin cars- some men didn’t like to use the inside conductor’s valve because once in a while it would dump the air as soon as it was moved to the number one position. The backup valves on the platforms were thought to give better control.
We’d use the air to stop the move when the cars were in the clear up on Harbor Hill, when we’d deliver cuts of cars to the IHB. Engineer was pulling slowly enough into the appropriate lead, and when he got the cars sufficiently in the clear I’d just go behind them, turn the anglecock, and dump the air. At first I thought this was cruel, but later found out that it was very humane, and at those low speeds the engineer probably didn’t feel a thing.