空气制动系统概述

为了使列车能够有效减速，需要全列同时制动。这种制动可以通过列车的空气制动系统实现。每辆车辆的两端都配备有一根制动软管，当车辆连挂时，软管可以握手的方式互相连接在一起。这样，机车驾驶员就能够使用单个机车的控制装置操纵整个列车的制动。

制动系统中的气压由机车上的风泵提供，并通过控制阀、管道和软管传递到整个列车。为了简单起见，该系统可以看作由三个独立的部分组成：主风缸、制动管和制动缸。

Main Reservoir

主风缸是机车上的一个大容积高压罐，由机车上的空气压缩机保持高压，为系统的其他部分提供压力。

Brake Pipe

制动管是一套由阀门、管道和软管组成的系统，贯穿整个列车，由主风缸为其加压。在每个车厢连接处，可以通过底部的一个称为折角塞门的阀门手动开启或关闭空气流动，可防止气压泄漏到大气中。在正常行车状态下，制动管保持5帕的压力。

Auxiliary Reservoirs

Auxiliary reservoirs are medium volume vessels found on each individual vehicle. Pressurized by the brake pipe, they store compressed air that is ready to apply brakes on demand. While auxiliary reservoirs can take a long time to charge, depending on the amount of vehicles in a train, they practically never run out during regular operation.

Brake Cylinders

每节车厢都有一个或多个自带的制动缸。制动缸是低容积的气压缸，对一个活塞施加压力，从而使车辆的制动靴与车轮接触并实现制动。一个三通阀会对制动管中的压力变化作出反应，从每辆车上的专用容器——即副风缸，向制动缸供压。

Brake cylinder pressure can be manually dumped in situations where that may be desired.

Brake Control Valve

Compressed air brakes, be it independent or train , are operated by control valves found in motorized vehicles' cabs , usually in the form of levers. There are different types of control valves and they need to be properly cut in in order to function.

Train Charging

Due to leaks , no brake components can remain pressurized indefinitely. It usually takes some time to bring the components of unused vehicles to their nominal, high pressure level, before they can be set in motion. The two biggest factors are the main reservoirs, which will charge as quickly as the respective compressor(s) allow it, and auxiliary reservoirs, which may take a long time to charge, depending on how many vehicles there are in the train.

Adding additional locomotives to the train to improve charging speeds is a viable option, and so is revving the engine .

Automatic Stop Safety Mechanism

Crucial safety feature of the compressed air brake system is that, in case a vehicle connection is severed, such as due to a derailment , emergency brakes are automatically applied on both remaining train parts. This is because the brake pipe pressure is lost to the atmosphere, and it is integral to the compressed air brake system design in trains.