09-06-2012, 03:13 AM
When making up a train, ( in steam days) I can belive that for a pasenger train all of the B ends will face the locomotive if there is an observation car on the end.
Drawings I have seen of brakemen on old time freight cars (vertical brake shafts) show all B ends aligned similarly.
I can't believe that freight cars are always aligned B to A end, due to the way they would be switched in classification yards.
Does any one know if there is a preferred alignment when making up either a freight or passenger train. For example, if a Pullman from Kentucky were added to a train from Cincinnati, would its B end couple to a B or an A end on the receiving train.
i.e. are both freight and passenger cars lined up at random or is (or was) there a system to tell brake operators where to go?
Paul
Remember electric cars are powered by coal.
Drawings I have seen of brakemen on old time freight cars (vertical brake shafts) show all B ends aligned similarly.
I can't believe that freight cars are always aligned B to A end, due to the way they would be switched in classification yards.
Does any one know if there is a preferred alignment when making up either a freight or passenger train. For example, if a Pullman from Kentucky were added to a train from Cincinnati, would its B end couple to a B or an A end on the receiving train.
i.e. are both freight and passenger cars lined up at random or is (or was) there a system to tell brake operators where to go?
Paul
Remember electric cars are powered by coal.