Re: Brake staff /cylinder confusion and mismatched trucks!!

Posted by Chris Walker on Sep 17, 2015; 10:44pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Brake-staff-cylinder-confusion-and-mismatched-trucks-tp3464p3469.html

Jim,

I wouldn't get too hung upon the "Standard Practice" of orientating the Brakecylinder travel in the direction of the handbrake end of the car for Early rolling stock.  This was the result of standardization and best practice coupled to improvement with simplification that was the outgrowth of earlier designs.

View these two examples of the earliest Colorado Central boxcars #1 through #10 definitely had double handbrakes, a step up from the D&RG who started with a single braked truck on their double trucked cars.  See the pictures posted at http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,297359,297376#msg-297376
I'd like to think this was on a/c of the mixed nature of the early CC trains-maybe/maybe not!


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/69883/rv/singleitem/rec/121


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/23218/rv/singleitem/rec/268

Think along the lines of adding to what is there, by this I mean Handbrake operated Brakes per Truck(s) at first, simplified by clevised rods and levers to actuate from one Handbrake only later, shoehorn in a Vaccuumn or compressed air brake cylinder to apply the brakes mounted in the middle of the Car.  The Handbrake is only attached now to the lever at the Pistonrod end and directed back to the ratchet/wheel.  To have the handbrake operated from the piston end of the Brakecylinder is not that much different, just may require an extra lever operating off of a pivot point to work the travel or a longer lever elsewhere in the brakerigging at some point.

Airbrake evolution has been pretty constant over the years, design improvement and safety paramount.  Don't forget that there are Passenger stock (and some cabooses on other railroads) that had Brakewheels at both ends as well, and also the C&S cabooses differed in Handbrake end placement.

I have noticed that a lot of the model plans don't show the rigging as it probably isn't exactly known.

There were seperate Air Cylinders from the Brake Piston, depends on the Brake schedule, Manufacturer and designer preferences maybe, I can't ever recall seeing anything here on NZRailways with the combined Cyl/Piston.   Mind you, I was only taught the Locomotive side with a smidgeon of car brake equipment operation.  Certainly nothing what a Carman or Mechanical Engineer would know.

A complex subject to cover in a few words.