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ECP Braking
Author: J
Date: 09-12-2008 - 10:24
Electrically-Controlled Pneumatic Brakes are currently in use / being phased in several train sets on a couple of railroads on both intermodal and coal trains. As discussed above, the installation is expensive and involves a train line cable as well as modifications to the control valve on indvidual cars as well as modification of locomotives.
The system perform well - the engineer can use a graduated release to cut brake shoe wear, wheel heating, and fuel consumption caused by power-braking. However, equipping a few train sets is far different from equipping the 20,000 locomotives and 1.5 million freight cars in interchange service in Mexico, US and Canada won't happen overnight. And, until it does, the benefits will be limited (a 100-car manifest train can't use the ECP feature because one scrap gon in the middle is not equpped).
The system perform well - the engineer can use a graduated release to cut brake shoe wear, wheel heating, and fuel consumption caused by power-braking. However, equipping a few train sets is far different from equipping the 20,000 locomotives and 1.5 million freight cars in interchange service in Mexico, US and Canada won't happen overnight. And, until it does, the benefits will be limited (a 100-car manifest train can't use the ECP feature because one scrap gon in the middle is not equpped).
