Brakes

Before a train departs, is there a 'right' way to release the brakes and start up? When I got off at Metro, the engineer released the brakes, then the train rolled back 1-2 ft., and caught the brakes. It then attempted to try again and the same thing happened once more.

Was this an oddity or was the engineer 'checking' the brakes before leaving?

What I think happens is that sometimes when the train brakes are released, the train rolls back due to gravity before traction is drawn. The easiest thing I think to fix this would be to just reapply the brakes and try again releasing and also to try to be quicker drawing traction. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the train moving. I'm no engineer though so I could be wrong.

But can traction be drawn while the train is inching backwards?

I think it can (not sure- at least it does in Train Simulator :D) but it would be a lot quicker to get it moving if you just reapply the brakes so you don't have to fight gravity and inertia trying to get the train moving.

I know the engineers could explain this better than i can, but this is in a nutshell how i understand it.

The push pull equipment, with an electric motor, either a 44 or 46, cannot draw traction power until the brakes are fully released. So just like if you are driving a manual transmission car, nad have your foot on the clutch while depressing the gas pedal on a hill, to prevent the car from rolling backwards. Its very similar, but teh trian won't let the engineer do that, have the brakes on slightly, while drawing for traction power. So the train often times rolls back a smidge while engine powers up and starts to give traction power. Also, because the contols are all "drive by wire" computers get involved with everything, and that sometimes takes longer for the command for the engine to start givng traction power to actually be recognizied.

But some engineers release the brakes, purposely let the train roll backwards, to let the slack run in, so when the motor kicks in, there isn't the kick in the ass and boom boom boom when the slack is taken up. The slack run in is done smoothly this way, instead of violently when the engineer just slams on the throttle and the cars bang together.

^I figured the computers were part of the problem. They almost always are. When all fails, blame the computers!

Many times with both MU's and push-pulls, you'll get a door light, release, pull for power only to have the door light go out. IF the light comes right back (it usually does) you zero the throttle and bring it right back out. If the light doesn't come back on, you apply the brakes, get on the PA and calmly say "center doors".

It's not a brake test, and applying the brakes doesn't give that quick of a stop, since you have just dropped all of your air when you first released, and have to get enough back to stop. In a "close to a signal" case, it sometimes means a dump.

As JT said, no power until the brakes are released. A favorite situation is coming up to a stop signal coming out of the tunnel into NYP. It's almost a given that the train will roll back and that somebody is right behind you. This accounts for some rough starts, as most of us yank hard for power, and want to feel the ALP hit the train...then we know we have power.

Can the engineer attempt to draw traction while the brakes are releasing, or does the train prevent this from happening?

Truthfully, it depends on the engine, Some allow it, some don't