I am building 0-6-0 CB&Q switch engine #1553 and am trying to figure out what kind of brakes it would have. The engine was built in 1912 and photos show that it has a brake air reservoir under the tender in the 1930’s and in 1950 before it was scrapped. My understanding was that the Westinghouse E-T brake system became common around 1905 (?) but I think those systems did not require a Tender air reservoir since they got their air on a separate pipe from the engine (Independent Brake). It sounds like earlier Tender brake systems used the same thing as a freight car with a reservoir and a triple valve so I assume that is what this engine was built with even though the E-T system was available then.
This brings up the question of how switch engines are used in a yard (hopefully someone with RR experience can fill me in). When switching, are the cars brake hoses connected or is just the engine brakes used since at low speed? If yes, then maybe an E-T system is not needed on a switch engine and the CB&Q used the older brake system since it was cheaper?
Thanks
Brucec
According to the 1909 locomotive cyclopedia tenders were fitted with car type air brakes connected to the train line. Passenger locomotives were fitted with a quick action triple valve while switch and freight had slow action valves.
Locomotive cyclopedias can be down loaded for free off of google books. Well worth the reads for anyone detailing models.
Pete
Pete has already answered your question about the equipment.
before cars can be humped or flat switched, the air must be bled off each car so the brakes do not set up when the hoses part. this work is usually done by the car inspectors as they look over the arriving cut or train. otherwise, the switching crew will bleed off each car before they start switching.
an exception to this practice would be when a long block of cars is to be set over and not separated in any way, then it can be done with the air cut in.
switch engines are capable of stopping cuts of cars in switching service with the independent (locomotive) brake alone but sometimes it requires the use of sand to get them stopped as much as it does to get the traction to “kick the cars”
once a train is made up, the car department or switch crew will recouple all the hoses and open the anglecocks in order to charge the train line and get an air test.
under some agreements back when i was working, the crew got a few dollars extra “air pay” for working the air and bleeding off cuts prior to switching them.
grizlump