One-coach trains?

[455driver]

They have 2 brake control units instead of the normal one per coach, they aso have some sort of choke to increase the brake release timings, unfortunately they over did it and we are where we are.

If you look in the cab at the brake gauge it says-
Bogie 1 and bogie 2
But its actually brake unit 1 and brake unit 2,

Both units putting air into the one brake pipe which feeds both bogies, if you isolate one brake unit you will still have braking on both bogies dispite 'bogie 1' gauge not moving. Clear as mud isnt it!

 

[David Barrett]

Two brake units does appear to be something like redundancy as suggested by edwin m. What I can't quite understand is why would we want to slow down brake release timings to such an extent that brakes drag upon starting, extra wear and tear, and increased load on the engine, fuel consumption etc.

 

[edwin_m]

Something to do with if the brake system on one bogie springs a leak, and the choke reduces the amount of air flowing from the good part into the failed part so the system can still produce enough air to keep the good part working?

Before anyone jumps on this, please note I'm talking about the brake cylinders themselves, where air pressure means brakes on, not about the train pipe where air pressure means brakes off.

 

[Silverlinky]

It's formally known as 'number 2 end' but small end will do, or 'bag of ****' if you're the guard with a lot of coins to cash up (as apart from a tiny ledge there's no desk on the secondmans side).

Or is it known as the "number 2 end" as thats where the toilet used to be before conversion to a driving cab!

 

[David Barrett]

Something to do with if the brake system on one bogie springs a leak, and the choke reduces the amount of air flowing from the good part into the failed part so the system can still produce enough air to keep the good part working?

Before anyone jumps on this, please note I'm talking about the brake cylinders themselves, where air pressure means brakes on, not about the train pipe where air pressure means brakes off.

You've got it, the down side is the slow release, I suppose, depending on the size of the choke.