A Visit to a Hump fright yard.

[zeeglen]

Then through the first set of brakes

Great pictures! Brings back memories of CN Symington Yard (Transcona, Manitoba) where if you were lucky you could see hump operations in progress while approaching a Trans-Canada Highway interchange. Almost ditched more than once while watching the trains instead of the road.

But this raises a question i've always wondered - just exactly how do those automatic brakes work? Do they drag on the wheels?

 

[interurban]

Hi zeeglen, the brakes are like a piston action and do grab the wheels , you should here them operate!!!

 

[N Gauger]

Oh mannn Tooo Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a field trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[60103]

Glen: think of the retarders as being like a long 2x4 on a vise that clamps on the wheel a bit above the rail, except that the vise is pneumatically operated. WHUMP.

 

[CN1]

So cooool :thumb:

Great shots :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[belg]

Chris these are some very interesting shots as my RR education continues, the question that comes to mind is how is it determined what goes where ? Or are they putting together a load to go onto its next destination?Pat

 

[interurban]

Chris these are some very interesting shots as my RR education continues, the question that comes to mind is how is it determined what goes where ? Or are they putting together a load to go onto its next destination?Pat

Hi Belg,, I too was amazed at how so many (750/800) cars a day can be sorted by so few men!

I tried to put the shots in order so as to help explain what I understood was happening.
Everything coming "in" the yard is recognized, they must have orders as to what has to go where or to be held before they bring them over the hump.
Notice the guy standing by the cars and the register as to what is uncoupled?
All this knowledge is passed down by one dispatcher!.

 

[60103]

I was in the Millerhill hump yard in Edinburgh, Scotland, almost 30 years ago. When we were in the tower they let me process one cut.
The data comes in on paper giving the number of cars and the load on each one (light, medium, heavy) and the track that each is going to. This is punched onto paper tape which is fed through the machine when the cut comes up. Being Britain, the couplings are hooks and chains, so the chains are removed from the hooks and the cars separate as they crest the hump. The towerman has a manual override to increase/decrease pressure from the retarders if the car is not moving at the right speed.
The tracks are named by destination, and there may be other criteria - I remeber the first two were "Aberdeen fitted" and "Aberdeen unfitted". (fitted means they have automatic brakes operated from the engine.)
There was a second hump yard for trains going in the opposte direction.