On Tue, 22 Jan 2002 11:58:29 -0500 "Tim O'Connor"
<timoconnor@mediaone.net> writes:

When did truck mounted brakes come into use? Seems to me they
would eliminate the problem of mechanical linkage via rods. My
guess is that the cars had hand brakes at each end as a safety
factor.

No Tim, the cars had hand brakes at each end because they had a brake
system at each end. The shorter cars, i.e. the 95 ton capy car in
question, had two systems because it was built before truck mounted brake
cylinders came into use and its depressed center was very depressed.

For example, a brakeman might not be able to traverse the car
while it was in motion (if the load was very wide), it was good
to have a hand brake that could be set from either end.

You've been looking at too many of those 1890 woodcuts with dozens of
brakemen atop the cars to set the brakes in a moving train during a
fierce blizzard. About the only time brakes were set by hand in the last
century was when the car was removed from a train and they wanted it to
stay where it was. There was usually enough ground nearby to get around
the widest load you could imagine. Otherwise they never had occasion to
set the brakes per car on a moving train. That was one of the reasons
the AB brake with its emergency reservoir came into being.

BSR
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