For all of You Train Lovers

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[j-c-c-62]

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Sign of all times, in the crossroads of history, Integrity often gets just run right by like it's tied to a dock.

 

[j-c-c-62]

1. I'm not sure if all railroads use the same principles, but I think the usual way is for the distributed braking car (some railroads call them 'repeater cars') is to take the signal from the brake hose in front and use it as a relay to send the same signal to the next cars. There are pipes and valves inside these air cars to direct the flow where needed:
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Train brakes are fairly rudimentary, in that they don't have variable pressure applications like you're used to in a car. They have only four positions - fully charged (fully released), partial application, full set-up, and emergency. So it's easy to send these simple types of applications through a relay.

The air cars have the added benefit of not only keeping up pressure, but also hastening brake release after an application by building up full pressure again more quickly.


2. "Do Not Hump" is in reference to special switching yards known as 'Hump Yards'. These switching yards start with a ramp or hill, so when a car is pushed into a track, it continues to roll by itself. It will be switched from track to track as it rolls, until it couples up with the cars in its intended final track, meaning the switch engine doesn't have to be connected the whole time it is being switched.

These cars can be slammed together fairly hard, creating a lot of shock, so certain cars are labeled "Do Not Hump" to ensure they aren't treated to this stress. A load of grain or coal doesn't care if it crashes into another car, but more delicate loads need to be switched slowly in more conventional methods. Automobile racks are usually labelled this way, for example.
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I assume the "humped" cars come to an abrupt stop upon connecting, meaning the stopped cars move little or not at all?
My question then, is there an upper speed limit/target for making these humped connections?

 

[Photon440]

I assume the "humped" cars come to an abrupt stop upon connecting, meaning the stopped cars move little or not at all?
My question then, is there an upper speed limit/target for making these humped connections?

I don't know for every car, the cushioning devices for coupling will take quite a lot of impact shock, I've seen cars coupled in conventional yards at speeds of at least 25mph. But there are cars designed for sensitive loads that have labels attached, warning not to couple at speeds exceeding 6mph. or a brisk walking speed. These types of cars are usually not sent through a hump yard.

And yes, even though we're mostly metric here in Canada, the railroad still uses MPH a lot, including on the locomotive speedometers.

Also, there are rubber cushions, called 'retarders' that are computer controlled and when needed will rub against the edge of the freight car wheels to slow it down when rolling down the tracks.

 

[j-c-c-62]

What have you shared is a good explanation of why Semi trailers hauled on trains are required to have among other things HD rear door and 4 latch rods vs 2 on normal OTR trailers.

Thanks.

 

[Photon440]

What have you shared is a good explanation of why Semi trailers hauled on trains are required to have among other things HD rear door and 4 latch rods vs 2 on normal OTR trailers.

Thanks.

Yes, quite likely. However, semi trailers on trains are going away. When I worked in the intermodal yard thirty years ago, semi trailers being loaded was still quite common, but they dwindled to the point that you seldom see them any more.

Containers that can be removed from the chassis are in the majority now, especially because they can be double-stacked, making them cheaper to ship. Many newer container rail cars don't even have trailer hitches any more (like these, in orange)
and can carry containers only. Those orange hitches are collapsible and usually in the down position to allow a container over it.