Manual Cylinder Release: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:17, 9 March 2025

It is not always desirable to have air in brake cylinders . On vehicles that sat unused sufficiently long, the brake cylinder is at atmospheric pressure due to leaks in the system . However, on vehicles that were recently used, brake cylinders could be still pressurized and have their brake shoes pressed against the wheels. In situations where brakes need to be released, but waiting for a motorized vehicle to pressurize the system first is undesirable, such as in certain shunting maneuvers, or after a complicated derailment , sometimes the best option is to manually release the brakes.

Vehicles typically come equipped with a red handle, located somewhere on the outside, which dumps brake cylinder pressure when pulled. Beware that if the handbrake is released, the brake shoes will immediately depress and the vehicle will roll freely under the gravity influence .

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-Having {{pll|Air Brake System Overview|air in brake cylinders}} is not always desirable. For {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|vehicles}} that sat unused for some time, the brake cylinder is likely empty due to {{pll|Cylinder Leaks|leaks in the system}}. However, if a vehicle was used recently, its brake cylinder might still be pressurized and its {{pll|Brake Shoes|brakes}} applied. When {{pll|Shunting|shunting}}, for example, it is quicker to be able to move cars around without having to wait for the brake pipe to pressurize to release the brakes.
+It is not always desirable to have {{pll|Air Brake System Overview|air in brake cylinders}}. On {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|vehicles}} that sat unused sufficiently long, the brake cylinder is at atmospheric pressure due to {{pll|Cylinder Leaks|leaks in the system}}. However, on vehicles that were recently used, brake cylinders could be still pressurized and have their {{pll|Brake Shoes|brake shoes}} pressed against the wheels. In situations where brakes need to be released, but waiting for a motorized vehicle to pressurize the system first is undesirable, such as in certain {{pll|Shunting|shunting}} maneuvers, or after a complicated {{pll|Derailing|derailment}}, sometimes the best option is to manually release the brakes.
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-For this reason, every vehicle with air brakes is fitted with a way to manually dump pressure from the brake cylinder. This is done by operating a red handle found on the outside of a vehicle. Pulling this handle will release the brakes immediately on cars that have it applied by air pressure.
+Vehicles typically come equipped with a red handle, located somewhere on the outside, which dumps brake cylinder pressure when pulled. Beware that if the {{pll|Handbrake|handbrake}} is released, the brake shoes will immediately depress and the vehicle will roll freely under the {{pll|Grade Signs|gravity influence}}.
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-{{See also|Air Brake System Overview|Cylinder Leaks|Monitoring|Train Brake|Independent Brake|Brake Shoes|Handbrake}}
 [[Category:Air Brake System|5]]