[PRCo] Re: West Penn

[HRBran99 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/10/02 1:42:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
fschnei at supernet.com writes:


> Whether or not they were air applied and spring released, or
> spring applied and air released is something on which I never collected
> any data.  Both designs were feasible and may have been built.

Very easy to determine, if you can look inside one of the cars. If there is 
an emergency hand brake then the brakes are air applied. If there is no 
emergency hand brake then the brakes are spring applied. The emergency brake 
is necessary in a car which has air applied brakes do to the fact that a loss 
of air pressure means a loss of brakes. Also, a car with spring applied 
brakes requires a method to "pull" (or release) the brakes manually. If there 
is a loss of air pressure on a spring applied system then the brakes are set 
"on" until the air pressure is restored. If the car must be pushed or pulled 
to the car house then the brakes must be manually released to accomplish 
this. The PRCo/PAT (original numbers) 1700 series had to have the brakes 
"pulled" before towing. This was done by taking the switch iron and using the 
hand grip to pull open a small hook located above the track brakes. After 
pulling the four hooks (one above each track brake) the car was ready to be 
towed or pulled to the car house by another car.

HrB