2007-03-01 17:07:06 · 5 answers · asked by trains 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Rail
On today's US Amtrak trains, there is an emergency brake valve on each car that can be activated to put the train into emergency braking.
Not at all long ago, there was a cord that could be pulled to communicate with the locomotive cab. In the movies, someone pulls the cord and the train lurches, wheels skidding to a stop.
In actuality, this was called the "communicating whistle." When a member of the train crew used it, it activated a high pitched, air driven whistle in the locomotive cab. There were a set of prescribed signals that could be sent by pulling the cord, with long and short blasts, the same way that the engineer operates the locomotive whistle, to signal approaching a grade crossing, etc.
For example, when standing still, three short tugs of the communicating whistle cord told the engine crew to "back up." When running, the same three shorts signaled the train to stop. This is where the term "whistle stop" came from.
The communicating whistle signals lasted well into the age of Amtrak until the "head end power" was introduced. The communicating whistle cord has now been relegated to the past.
2007-03-01 18:59:56 · answer #1 · answered by Samurai Hoghead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
On American trains, if you activate the emergency brake valve, it will definitely dump the air, apply the brakes and stop the train...but you don't want to do this. There is a chance other passengers can be injured, it puts flat spots on the wheels and might cause a derailment. If there is a genuine emergency, that is what its for. All passenger cars and locomotives have them.
Just read Hoghead's remarks. I must not have understood the question. I did not know about the signaling devices.
2007-03-05 12:49:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the UK the chain (these days it's usually actually a handle) sounds an alarm in the driver's cab and partially applies the brakes.
The driver then brings the train to a stop.
There is also an indicator to show in which carriage the emergency brake was applied.
2007-03-01 21:35:41 · answer #3 · answered by squeaky guinea pig 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in many circumstances the prepare stops immediately away yet in some notorious parts additionally they substitute the equipment so as that the driver can carry the prepare out to the wanted section. by pulling the chain Vacuum valve opens liberating the brake vacuum.
2016-12-05 03:25:27 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The conductor stops the train. the chain is just a signal to the conductor to stop the train.
2007-03-01 17:13:06 · answer #5 · answered by Petey 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋