MGTM10008 Railway Transportation

Brakes

Huel-Sheng Tsay
Adjunct Professor

Chen-Yu Lin
Assistant Professor

Department of Transportation and

Logistics Management (TLM), NYCU https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Brake_shoe/

2022-10-27

https://www.nyabproducts.com/changesaver
/
 Credits to Course Materials

▪ “The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does”.

5th Edition by John H. Armstrong.
Simmons-Boardman Books
▪ Course materials are adapted and
modified from railroad-related courses
developed by
• Professor Yung-Cheng (Rex) Lai
(National Taiwan University)
• Professor Christopher P.L. Barkan
(University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, UIUC)

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 Decelerating the train

• From a safety standpoint, deceleration is considerably

more important than acceleration
• The same low coefficient of friction between steel
wheel and steel rail that allows low rolling resistance,
also severely limits braking ability (risk!), aka 水能載舟、亦能覆舟！
• Two key objectives of braking system:
- 1) permit deceleration and stopping for various
speed restrictions and traffic control purposes
- 2) control train speed on grades
• Although trains can be decelerated in less distance
than they can be accelerated, stopping trains requires
considerably more distance and time than motor vehicles
- Braking distance > Sight distance (most of the time)

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 Fundamental difference between railroad
and motor vehicle traffic control
• Consider the comparison of the train
and auto driver’s view at right
• Train stopping distance generally
exceeds sight distance, opposite
of highway
• If there is another train stopped on
the track ahead, how is the operator
to know in time to stop the train?
• Trains operate on a “fixed
guideway” or “single-degree-of-
freedom” system
• train operator cannot alter the train’s
course to avoid a collision (i.e.
cannot change lanes or swerve to
avoid collision)
• Requires different type of traffic
control system than motor vehicles
that accounts for these factors
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 Typical elements of train braking

▪ Brake shoes apply force to rotating wheels, the resulting friction

generates retarding force that slows the rotation
▪ Limited by:
• force of brake application
• adhesion between wheel and rail
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 Early train braking was manually controlled
and operated (the “old days”)
• Trains were stopped using hand-
operated brakes on each car
• Locomotive engineer use his
whistle to signal to the brakemen
that brakes needed to be applied
• They ran and jumped from car to
car applying each cars’ brakes
individually
• Performed their duties, day and
night, rain or shine, regardless of
conditions
• Hazardous, inefficient and not very
effective!

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 Limited hand-brake effectiveness
constrained rail transport efficiency
• Braking force limited by human strength (forcing the brake shoe against
the wheel)
• Dangerous not be able to stop a train, particularly on down-grades
• Hazardous work, not only for brakemen, but also posed risk for train
operation and other crew members in locomotive and caboose
• Constrained speed, capacity of cars and length of trains
• Limited line capacity
• Denied railroads ability to further exploit economies of scale
• Strong economic (and safety) incentive to develop new technology

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 Development of train brakes applied directly
from locomotive
▪ Early concept: Air compressor on the locomotive pumped air via piping and
hoses to each car in the train
• Locomotive engineer used a hand-operated valve to control air pressure to
brake cylinders which transmitted force to brake shoes
• No compressed air storage on individual railcars
• Called “Straight-Air” Systems
“Fail Safe” is a critical concept in railway transportation!
▪ Disadvantages
=> If it fails, is should perform toward the “safe” operation!
• Not fail-safe if air pressure was lost due to: loss of air supply, hose
uncoupling, or rupture
• Slow propagation caused severe slack run-in - brakes in front of train applied
sooner than those in the back
▪ Two systems were developed to address these disadvantages:
• Vacuum Brake – standard for Great Britain, India, South Africa, and other
countries.
• George Westinghouse’s Automatic Air Brake – now the dominant system
in North America and Europe

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 Modern train brakes
Braking Force
Brake Applied To: Common Types of Application

Independent Locomotive Light operation (locomotive w/o cars)

When air line is not in use
Train Cars Service applications
Emergency applications

Hand Individual Car Applied by hand to

“secure” a railcar(s)
Dynamic Locomotive Service applications

▪ Four different types of brake system in use

• Independent Brake: is the air brake system on the locomotive
• Train Brake: is the most important and will be focus of most of our discussion
• Dynamic Brake: is also important in train operation; it is a type of regenerative brake,
in which the locomotive traction motors function as generators to provide resistance
using the locomotive wheels (much like modern hybrid cars)
• Hand Brake: is a means of mechanically setting the brake on individual cars without
compressed air - typically used today as a “parking brake”
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 Schematics of locomotive and car
air brake systems
Locomotive Car
System System
Air hose
connection

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 Major elements of the automatic air brake system
▪ Locomotive components
• Air compressor
• Brake valve
• Main Reservoir
• Brake cylinder
• Foundation
(system of rods, levers, fixtures and brake beams & shoes)
▪ Railcar components
• Train line
• Auxiliary & emergency reservoir
• Control valve
• Brake cylinder
• Foundation
(system of rods, levers, fixtures and brake beams & shoes)
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 Basic Air Brake Concept

▪ Pressurized air supplied by locomotive is contained in reservoirs on each railcar

▪ During braking, pressurized air is admitted into the brake cylinder
▪ Piston pushes out against a series of rods, levers and fulcrums
▪ These transmit braking force to brake shoes that press against the wheel tread

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 Wheel-Tread Brake System

Izumi Hasegawa and Seigo Uchida. Brake Systems. Railway Technology Today 7, Japan Railway & Transport Review, 20, 1999

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 Freight cars use tread brakes

▪ Brake shoes pushed against each wheel tread causing friction and retarding force to
slow train

Applied Released

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 Heavy braking and sparks with cast iron
brake blocks

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 Axle-Mounted Disc Brake System

Izumi Hasegawa and Seigo Uchida. Brake Systems. Railway Technology Today 7, Japan Railway & Transport Review, 20, 1999

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 Axle-Mounted Disc Brake System

Izumi Hasegawa and Seigo Uchida. Brake Systems. Railway Technology Today 7, Japan Railway & Transport Review, 20, 1999

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 “Rail” Brake System

Izumi Hasegawa and Seigo Uchida. Brake Systems. Railway Technology Today 7, Japan Railway & Transport Review, 20, 1999

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 Electromagnetic track brake in action

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 Passenger cars also use disk brakes in
addition to tread

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 Locomotive Air Brake System
▪ Air Compressor powered by engine
▪ Main Reservoirs store compressed air
▪ Independent brake valve controls
locomotive brakes
▪ Train brake valve controls train brakes
▪ Brake cylinder applies pressure to
brake shoes pressed against wheels

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 Air Brake Components - Railcars
▪ Combined brake reservoir - stores pressurized air in two, independent chambers
• Auxiliary Reservoir - for regular “service” applications
• Emergency Reservoir - for emergency applications
▪ Control valve - responds to changes in brake pipe pressure actuated by the
locomotive engineer (driver) to cause different brake application and release actions
▪ Brake cylinder - converts air pressure into mechanical force
▪ Retainer valve - vents air pressure from brake cylinder when brakes are released

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 Air Brake Components - Railcars

▪ Brake foundation - series of levers, rods and brake shoes that transmits brake force
from cylinder to wheel treads
▪ Train line or brake pipe - transmits air pressure from one end of the car to the other
▪ Brake hose & glad hand - means of connecting the train lines of adjacent cars

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 Brake System on Car

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 Simplified diagram of brake system
rod and lever arrangement

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 Coupler and air hose connection

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 Angle Cocks & Glad Hands
▪ Angle Cock: Valve (on/off) at both
ends of a car or locomotive’s brake
pipe
• Function is to connect and
control flow from the brake pipe
to the air hoses that connect
cars and locomotives in a train
• Normally open in trains, but must
be closed on the end of the first
and last cars or locomotives in
the train (to keep the
compressed air from escaping)
• The cock is “open” if the handle
is “in line” with the path of
airflow
▪ Glad Hand: Connector between two
air hoses
• Connected by hand,
disconnected by pulling apart

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 Placement of angle cocks on railcars

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 Westinghouse Brake System Concept
▪ Air pressure from the locomotive was used to control the application of air
pressure to brake shoes on each car
▪ But the immediate source of the air pressure to apply the brakes was a
storage or “auxiliary” reservoir on each car.
▪ The auxiliary reservoir on each car was continuously being recharged with
air from the locomotive when the brakes were not being applied.

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 The Triple Valve (Control Valve)
▪ The key to the success of the
Westinghouse system was the control
valve on each car that interpreted
changes in train line pressure to
changes in brake cylinder pressure
▪ Early versions of the control valve were
referred to as the “triple valve”
because of its three basic functions:
• charge brake reservoirs
• apply brakes
• release brakes

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 How is brake application controlled?
▪ Many train brakes are controlled BRAKE VALVE
Automatic Brake
by varying the air pressure in the Valve Handle
train line
▪ Locomotive brake
• “Independent”
• Directly controls air
pressure into brake
cylinder on locomotive
▪ Brakes in cars in train Independent Brake
Valve Handle
• “Automatic brake”
• Controls reduction in
pressure in the train line CONTROL VALVE
• Causes Control valve in each
car to admit air from reservoir
in each car into brake cylinder

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 Basic air brake system schematic

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 Types of Brake Applications / Positions

▪ Release / Charging
• Equilibrium state
• Reservoirs are “charged” with air from the train line
▪ x lb. Reduction (less than full service)
• Used to control trains on low to moderate grades
• Takes up to 5 minutes to recharge in a long train
▪ Full Service Reduction
• Used to control trains on moderate to steep grades
• Takes up to 15 minutes to recharge in a long train
▪ Emergency Application
• Risks associated with slack (derailment possibility)
• Long time associated with recharge (up to 40 minutes)

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 Brakes in Release Position

▪ Note position of slide valve in Control valve

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 Release / Charging

Emergency Auxiliary

Release 90 90

90

Cylinder

▪ Using Initial Brake Pipe Pressure of 90 psi

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 Brakes applied

▪ Note different position of slide valve in “triple” valve

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 10 LB Reduction

Emergency Auxiliary

10 lb Reduction 90 80

80

25

Cylinder

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 Full Service (26 LB*) Reduction

Emergency Auxiliary

Full Service 90 64
(26 lb Reduction)

64

64

Cylinder
* The pressure associated with a full service reduction varies for different
initial brake pipe pressures
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 Emergency Reduction

Emergency Auxiliary

Emergency 77 77

77
Cylinder

* Emergency cylinder pressure is 6/7 of the initial train line pressure

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 Brakes in Lap Position

▪ Note position of slide valve in “triple” valve

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 “Automatic” brake valve in locomotive

▪ The automatic brake valve controls the train

brakes, and has six positions
▪ Release, Minimum Reduction, Service,
Suppression, Handle Off and Emergency
▪ Shown below in “Release”

Photo & videos from San Diego Railroad museum: http://www.sdrm.org/faqs/brakes/control/26stand.html

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 Video of Automatic Brake Application
(20 lb. reduction <110 - > 90>)

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 Video of Automatic Brake Application
(brake release)

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 Video of Automatic Brake Application
(emergency brake: “throw into emergency”)

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 Limitations of Current Braking System

• Despite over a century of advancement, the physical constraints inherent to

pneumatically controlled brakes still impose limits on brake performance
• Brake propagation signal constrained by speed of the air pressure moving
from car to car along train line. This is especially obvious for longer trains.
• Contributes to:
– excessive in-train forces
– challenges in train handling
– long stopping distances
– safety risk of depletion of air brake reservoirs
• Problem is not so much with the braking system itself, but the
pneumatic control system
• Isn't there a better way?

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 Electrically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP)
Brake Systems

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 Electrically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP)
Brakes
• Control problems are largely solved if brakes are controlled by electrical
signal as opposed to pneumatic propagation
• ECP brakes enable:
– all cars to apply and release brakes simultaneously
– graduated release
– continuous recharge and less likelihood of loss of air brake pressure
– controlled differential braking of different cars or parts of train
– improved, empty/load brake capability
– improved fuel efficiency
– reduced wear and stress on wheels and brake shoes
– reduce or eliminate many in-train forces, especially slack run-in
– 20% to 40% reduction in braking distance (possibly more)
– which can improve capacity

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 ECP Brake Schematic

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 ECP Brake Principle is Not New, But
Why it Hasn’t Already Happened
• Suggested by George Westinghouse at about the same time he invented
the original, pneumatically controlled air brake
• Electronics technology of that era was inadequate for wide-spread use on
railroads
• Financial
– ECP brakes are a major capital investment
• Operational
– Limited compatibility with current system (i.e. not “reverse compatible”
with conventional air brake system)
– Challenge to operate both ECP and conventional systems
simultaneously during phase-in period
• Institutional
– Majority of costs borne by car owners
– Majority of benefits will accrue to large railroads
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 Dynamic Brakes

• Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad

vehicle as generators when slowing the locomotive
– It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as
heat in brake grid resistors
– It is termed regenerative if the power is returned to the supply catenary
• Dynamic braking lowers the wear of friction-based braking components,
and additionally regeneration can also lower energy consumption
• Dynamic braking can also be used on railcars multiple units, light rail
vehicles, trams and streetcars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6s7jb88xE

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 Dynamic Brakes

• Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad

vehicle as generators when slowing the locomotive
– It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as
heat in brake grid resistors
– It is termed regenerative if the power is returned to the supply catenary
• Dynamic braking lowers the wear of friction-based braking components,
and additionally regeneration can also lower energy consumption
• Dynamic braking can also be used on railcars multiple units, light rail
vehicles, trams and streetcars.

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 Principal Steps of Rheostatic Dynamic Brake
Operations
1. The control system disconnects the energy supply to
the traction motor
2. Rolling wheels turn the motor armatures and the
motors act as generators
3. The generators link to resistor grids to dissipate heat

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 Principal Steps of Regenerative Dynamic
Brake Operations
• In electrified systems the similar process of regenerative braking is employed
whereby the current produced during braking is fed back into the power supply
system for use by other traction units, instead of being wasted as heat
• It is normal practice to incorporate both regenerative and rheostatic braking in
electrified systems
• If the power supply system is not "receptive", i.e. incapable of absorbing the
current, the system will default to rheostatic mode in order to provide the
braking effect

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 KEY TAKEAWAY
Train Brakes

▪ Pneumatic train brake mechanism and main

components
▪ “Fail-safe” design of train air brake system
▪ Air flow of brake systems at different stages of
braking

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 Thank you! Questions or comments?

https://tlife.thsrc.com.tw/tw/article/1248
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