Electric Brakes

[ricebrianrice]

As a tangent on the Air brake Thread:
I remember reading a couple of years ago, about Norfolk Southern Testing new Electronic braking on Coal cars.

It gave them a much shorter stopping distance, by removing the time lag of the air pressure changing all the way to the back of the train.

Has this gotten anywhere, it is in use?

Brian

[JayBee]

Still a work in progress. Other railroads also have sets of equipment with ECP brakes in service. There are issues with electrical connectors maintaining continuity even though they are rarely disconnected, plus various other issues. I expect they will all eventually be worked out, but it will take time. Right now PTC is sucking up the R&D bucks.

[Arlington]

I'd think the other advantage would be having them be anti-lock (avoiding flat spots, brake fires), yes?

[LocoCam]

I'd think the other advantage would be having them be anti-lock (avoiding flat spots, brake fires), yes?

No, wheel speed is not measured, just uses wires instead of air to signal air valves on cars.

[wolfman]

had them in the uk what we called the EP brake.brilliant piece of equipment could play about with it all day.no lag when you released it just straight on and straight off.

[wolfman]

had them in the uk what we called the EP brake.brilliant piece of equipment could play about with it all day.no lag when you released it just straight on and straight off.

[mmi16]

ECP is a great idea and when it works is a benefit to efficient train handling.

A thing one has to understand about railroad maintenance procedures - any maintenance required between the periods mandated by law is considered excessive. ECP, as presently configured, requires more maintenance than the air brake valves it controls - that is excessive maintenance.

To be effective, all cars in the train must be ECP equipped. A new unit train can be ECP equipped - If the owner has multiple sets of unit train equipment it is most likely only some of those sets are ECP equipped - as individual cars are shopped and repaired they begin to end up in sets other than those they originated in. To keep tonnage moving it can become a problem to keep ECP cars associated only with ECP equipment sets.