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Offline Mark5  
#1 Posted : 02 May 2015 06:01:35(UTC)
Mark5

Canada   
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,420
Location: Montreal, Canada
Hello all,

Heavy reporting in the news about our heroic lawmakers with upgrades for over 150000 tank cars in the next five years.
Guessing the cost will be in ...how many billions of dollars.
Also I really question if the ECPs will be better than Air.... all depends on who is doing the operating.
I have heard train engineers with decades of experience say that Lac Magentic had to have been the firemen turning off the brakes because they all have auto-on with compressors, and this will last for days of braking. Ergo, fault not with engineer but with foremen and fireman. ... so how would hackable ECPs make a difference?

That said, funny how Canadian initiative in lawmaking becomes a headline for US lawmakers... correct me if I am wrong.
Either way, the main issue: Is safety and dollars really quantifiable...
...no doubt thicker shells and insulation does make a difference... to voters.
I live in Quebec and care about those who who lost loved ones, but seems to me a bigger crew would be a better cost investment than dependency on more electronics.Unsure
(Nothing against digital trains though, of course Wink )

http://www.wsj.com/artic...J_article_EditorsPicks_0

Canadian reporting... with slideshow/vid of 41seconds
http://business.financia...ee-years-under-new-rules

http://business.financia...measures?__lsa=e897-9b19

I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I see the tank cars go through Montreal, every week... not doubt they do so every day.
...and we enjoy going out of our way to stop at the level crossing instead of taking the underpass :Mellow

- Mark
DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Mark5
Offline Tom Jessop  
#2 Posted : 03 May 2015 00:59:03(UTC)
Tom Jessop

Australia   
Joined: 14/12/2002(UTC)
Posts: 800
Location: Newcastle NSW Australia
Having worked ECP unit trains for the last 4 years before retirement overall I found that they were a great improvement over normal air braked trains . The coal trains that I worked were 96 wagons , 1.5 km long & 120ton gross when loaded for each wagon . The best part of ECP was the capability of a partial release of brakes then reapplying them numerous times if the brake pipe had pumped back up . Brakes applied & released all at the same time rather than progressive application & release , apart from the air pipe there was also a multiwire electric cable between each wagon which did the controlling. our wagons were worked in pairs brake wise & were permanently coupled up as a 4 unit set. It was possible to cut out wagons remotely from the engine computer display & also observe the application of brakes on each wagon . There were problems when they were first used on trains , the main one being cross interference to other ECP trains close by & still occasionally happen . When shunting a ECP train it can be done in Westinghouse or partial ECP but control is not as good . It is possible to place a ECP wagon within a Normal Westinghouse air braked system but there was a manually operated push button on each Triple valve wagon [ 1 triple valve to 2 wagons ] . I never worked a train of ECP wagons with a normal air brake wagon in the consist so don't know of what the difference would be .

Cheers Tom in Oz.
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by Tom Jessop
Offline Mark5  
#3 Posted : 03 May 2015 02:54:59(UTC)
Mark5

Canada   
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,420
Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanks Tom,

I really appreciate you sharing your experience. Curious about the cross interference since you said there was a multiwire cable; I am guessing the interference would not be radio/microwave communication, would it? I can certainly see how partial release would be much more advantageous, along with the possibility of full control system via the engine computer. Would be very interesting to hear more about the nature of your work as one who only observes on the sidelines.... or plays with MMR Blushing
Thanks again,
Mark


Originally Posted by: Tom Jessop Go to Quoted Post
... The best part of ECP was the capability of a partial release of brakes then reapplying them numerous times if the brake pipe had pumped back up . Brakes applied & released all at the same time rather than progressive application & release , apart from the air pipe there was also a multiwire electric cable between each wagon which did the controlling. our wagons were worked in pairs brake wise & were permanently coupled up as a 4 unit set. It was possible to cut out wagons remotely from the engine computer display & also observe the application of brakes on each wagon . There were problems when they were first used on trains , the main one being cross interference to other ECP trains close by & still occasionally happen . ....


DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Mark5
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