I took the SpikeTV ‘Emergency Brakes’ comment to mean either setting up retainers or changing how many are used. I know they’re set on individual freight cars using retainer valves, but how are they typically set within an entire train? Is it every nth car, more towards the front or rear of the train, or? Are there special rules for articulated cars such as 5-unit spine cars within a train of double stacks?
Procedures have most likely changed since my 1983 UP timetable but it states, “Unless otherwise specified, when use of retaining valves is required, they must be used on all cars in train…”
dd
Use of retainers is usually governed by the Special Instructions, which will state how many retainers are to be turned up based on length and tonnage. The instructions may even vary by location on the same railroad.
Retainers if used are goverened by timetable, systems special instructions and air brake train hanling section of GCOR in setting retainers, if my train has retainers set my train speed id restricted to 15 mph as per GCOR. The HP/LP portion of the retainer is governed by tonnage of train, it is a time comsuming process of applying and releaseing them it could take 2-3 hours to apply and the same time to realese.
Rodney
It’s been a while since I saw this program (in fact i’m not even sure it’s the same show I saw a couple years ago), but I think the “emergency brakes” they mention may be referring to two-way eot’s and not retainers. Check out this link, about half way down the page where they talk about the FRA Emergency Order No. 18, Notice No. 1.
http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib001/DOT-05.TXT
Alot less time than setting handbrakes to charge your train on a hill .
If the power on a train has 26RL schedule brake stands, then turning “up” retainers, should be unnecessary, as I understand the instructions. The catch is that all units in a consist must have 26RLs in order for the feature to work properly.
The pressure maintaining feature of the 26RL brake only requires that the controlling unit be equipped. The trailing units do not matter. The 24L brake also could be equipped with pressure maintaining.
When charging a train on a grade handbrakes must be applied as per GCOR.
Rodney