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Re: handling with train air
Author: SP5103
Date: 01-01-2014 - 12:46
Notice that extreme roller coasters became popular as the older traction lines carrying passengers disappeared?
Those new ARMN reefers are monsters, especially when you see a string of them coupled to a GE 70 ton. Even empty, they weigh 45 tons and 50 tons on the 72 ft (IL). Brakes on cars and trains can react in a surprisingly wide range. Whether the cars have empty/load equipment makes a difference, and I don't think the ARMN cars do. Some cars just don't seem to have good brakes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are out of compliance.
In my opinion, engineers aren't being taught the basic physics behind air brakes, just what to do to comply with the rules. On train air, you have to always be ahead of the train, if you fall behind then it becomes a mess. The trick isn't to run the train the same every day, but how to safely run it when thing are different and how to recognize and react when things go wrong.
Years ago I was an engineer on a shortline. The conductor insisted on running one day, and he did have a student card. We came off trackage rights, made a hard left turn onto a detour, climbed out of a slough crossing a state highway, the dropped a little and made a hard right turn before ending up on our original alignment of 60# rail, all in less than a mile. Our loaded trains were restricted to 25-27 loads, so they all handled about the same across this part of the line. It took run 8 to get over the highway, and I told the conductor that after he finished blowing the horn for the crossing to make a minimum reduction, bail off, and reduce the throttle as needed to hold 10 mph. Instead he chose not to make the brake application but to just reduce the throttle as the train gained speed. I kept yelling at him to set some air, he just kept backing off the throttle until he grabbed some air. We hit the curve doing about 15 mph and by then he had 15-20 pounds of air drawn off. If he had done what I told him, we would have held 10 mph on a minimum reduction without any problems.
As far as the described yard move getting out of hand, I have a few comments. It makes a difference if you are bailing the engines off or not. For example, if you have two or three units (especially SDs), then a few cars aren't going to hold the engines back. You need to either let the engines set up of at least have enough air on them to hold themselves back. If you know the move is going to run on you, you don't wait until it starts to but get a set in place as soon as you're moving. Assuming you used train air to stop before shoving, was the brake system recharged enough to get a minimum set? Remember a reduction in brake pipe pressure does not set the brakes until it is a few pounds lower than the auxiliary reservoir pressure. If a conductor sees a move coming in too hot, especially if they are riding, quit giving car counts and just say stop. Shiftable loads are always potentially nasty.
Just like there are places you learn to grab some more throttle, there are places where you grab the air. In some instances, it is not unreasonable to set some air before you even start to move. I would rather burn a little fuel shoving against brakes than have a move get away from me. It also makes a difference in what the weather or rail conditions are. If it is below zero, you had better keep 10 psi on he engine brakes the whole time you are switching or you will not stop.
Rather than trust opinions found on an internet blog, I suggest you ask your DSLE about the problem since that is their job.
Those new ARMN reefers are monsters, especially when you see a string of them coupled to a GE 70 ton. Even empty, they weigh 45 tons and 50 tons on the 72 ft (IL). Brakes on cars and trains can react in a surprisingly wide range. Whether the cars have empty/load equipment makes a difference, and I don't think the ARMN cars do. Some cars just don't seem to have good brakes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are out of compliance.
In my opinion, engineers aren't being taught the basic physics behind air brakes, just what to do to comply with the rules. On train air, you have to always be ahead of the train, if you fall behind then it becomes a mess. The trick isn't to run the train the same every day, but how to safely run it when thing are different and how to recognize and react when things go wrong.
Years ago I was an engineer on a shortline. The conductor insisted on running one day, and he did have a student card. We came off trackage rights, made a hard left turn onto a detour, climbed out of a slough crossing a state highway, the dropped a little and made a hard right turn before ending up on our original alignment of 60# rail, all in less than a mile. Our loaded trains were restricted to 25-27 loads, so they all handled about the same across this part of the line. It took run 8 to get over the highway, and I told the conductor that after he finished blowing the horn for the crossing to make a minimum reduction, bail off, and reduce the throttle as needed to hold 10 mph. Instead he chose not to make the brake application but to just reduce the throttle as the train gained speed. I kept yelling at him to set some air, he just kept backing off the throttle until he grabbed some air. We hit the curve doing about 15 mph and by then he had 15-20 pounds of air drawn off. If he had done what I told him, we would have held 10 mph on a minimum reduction without any problems.
As far as the described yard move getting out of hand, I have a few comments. It makes a difference if you are bailing the engines off or not. For example, if you have two or three units (especially SDs), then a few cars aren't going to hold the engines back. You need to either let the engines set up of at least have enough air on them to hold themselves back. If you know the move is going to run on you, you don't wait until it starts to but get a set in place as soon as you're moving. Assuming you used train air to stop before shoving, was the brake system recharged enough to get a minimum set? Remember a reduction in brake pipe pressure does not set the brakes until it is a few pounds lower than the auxiliary reservoir pressure. If a conductor sees a move coming in too hot, especially if they are riding, quit giving car counts and just say stop. Shiftable loads are always potentially nasty.
Just like there are places you learn to grab some more throttle, there are places where you grab the air. In some instances, it is not unreasonable to set some air before you even start to move. I would rather burn a little fuel shoving against brakes than have a move get away from me. It also makes a difference in what the weather or rail conditions are. If it is below zero, you had better keep 10 psi on he engine brakes the whole time you are switching or you will not stop.
Rather than trust opinions found on an internet blog, I suggest you ask your DSLE about the problem since that is their job.
