Water stops

[NW Mailing List]

Jim

Mr. Burnett and I discussed this off the list a bit. I found a reference in Radford Division Timetable No. 26, effective May 1, 1926, under special instructions, Local no. 109 reads: Rule 90-d, Book of Rules, is modified to the extent that engines handling trains of not exceeding 20 cars and single engines handling trains westward, Roanoke to Bluefield, and in either direction between East Radford and Bristol, may take water without detaching engines from trains when conditions permit.

The rule book rule, that went in effect April 1, 1917, rule 90-d reads:
Engines of freight trains must be detached therefrom before taking water or coal, but not until after train has come to a full stop.

Now, of course, this gives me an idea for the occasional article in the Arrow, on operating questions and practices, we have some very sharp operating people in the society that can address this well.

Any interest out here?

Ken Miller

> On Oct 31, 2018, at 11:23 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Thanks Ken.  I'm always interested in learning about train operations.
> 
> Jim Brewer
> 
> On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 10:11 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
> That is correct Jim.
> 
> The bottling the air was a fairly common practice, and I do not think it became federal law until sometime in the late 1990s. While rulebooks may well have prohibited the practice for years, it was still done.:)
> 
> Probably the most recent example of bottling the air was the Les Magnetic derailment in Canada a few years ago. The crew had tied down some handbrakes, but not enough to hold the train, and bottled the air. The air bled off, and the train ran away.
> 
> As Jimmy said, the close the angle cock on the engine or tender, depending on where your train is, tie down the prescribed number of handbrakes, the uncouple the locomotive, which separates the air hose and shoots the air in the train, clamping the brake shoes to the wheels. Now, depending on how tight the brake system is, the air will bleed down over time. Gordon explained that well. As Jeff said, you can bleed the air off a car to release the brakes. Once the locomotive has taken water and coupled back to the train, the air hoses are connected, and the angle cock on the locomotive opened, slowly, to put air back in the train. If you cut in air too fast, it is possible to trip the emergency brake valve on the locomotive, meaning even longer to pump air.
> 
> Ken Miller
> 
>> On Oct 31, 2018, at 8:30 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
>> 
>> Jimmy,
>> 
>> OK, thanks for the clarification; would the air then have to be pumped up before the train could depart? 
>> 
>> Jim Brewer
>> 
>> On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 7:54 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
>> On 10/30/2018 5:49 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>>> Remember, after coming to a complete stop, the brakeman would have to turn the valve (? terminology) on the car immediately behind the locomotive to keep air in the line;
>> Jim,
>>     Bottling the air like that is a very good way to have a runaway train. That is why it is against the rules. You leave the "anglecock" open on the cars and close the one on the engine!
>>> then the locomotive would uncouple from the train and move into place at the water plug.  The brakeman would have to climb up on the tender and open the water fill hatch; then position the water spout over the tender.
>>     It might be that the brakeman wouldn't mind helping out with taking on water, however, I do believe that is the Fireman's job.
>> 
>> Jimmy Lisle
>> 
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