Brake Cutout

Most motorized rail vehicles come equipped with a valve to cutout their train brake control device from the rest of the train. This valve is called brake cutout, and typically it is located underneath the train brake control device, in the cab of the vehicle.

When a cutout valve is closed on a vehicle, it is still able to brake as part of a train and it's only its control device that is no longer functional. The ability to cutout valves is necessary to ensure safety of a train with multiple motorized vehicles that would otherwise conflict each other.

The cutout valve only affects the train brake control device, and when it is closed other brake types, such as independent , can still be used normally.