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Electronic Brakes
Author: Rich Hunn
Date: 03-30-2007 - 10:07
Wow, electro-pneumatic braking, what an innovation!! Oh wait, didn't I work with Westinghouse to
do that back in 1969?? It's amazing that something that works as well as that crude box of rocks
we put together for their consultant group in San Diego nearly forty years ago has finally got to
the point of actually having some Class 1's consider it. The oil field equipment business is much
the same in that their investment and their faith in what works way overrides equipment progress.
I guess the prospect of retrofitting some 500,000 or so freight cars for better brakes might have
trouble making financial sense especially in light of the progress in dynamic braking but I'm still amused that the thing will finally get some real testing.
do that back in 1969?? It's amazing that something that works as well as that crude box of rocks
we put together for their consultant group in San Diego nearly forty years ago has finally got to
the point of actually having some Class 1's consider it. The oil field equipment business is much
the same in that their investment and their faith in what works way overrides equipment progress.
I guess the prospect of retrofitting some 500,000 or so freight cars for better brakes might have
trouble making financial sense especially in light of the progress in dynamic braking but I'm still amused that the thing will finally get some real testing.
