Dumb Question

[Anonymous]

I'm a newbie to this hobby and so will take my lumps on this question. Which end is it prototypical to run the brakewheel on (brakewheel running front or back)? or does it matter?

Thanks,

[Big_Boy_4005]

It doesn't matter! By the way the ends of a car are called "A" and "B". "B" stands for brake wheel.[swg]

[Roger Bielen]

There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.

In prototype railroading it's whereever it happens to endup. There is usually no concern which way a car is spotted at a customer unless it has special features that the custopmer requires facing one side of the track for unloading/loading. If they were to turn a car each time a train was made up the costs in $'s and time would be exorbant.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the answers guys! [:D]

[Anonymous]

They are both right in there answers. A car on a real railroad will end up getting turned thousands of times in its lifetime. Sometimes intentionally and other times just going through the moves on the different roads that it travels. Could be going south on one road and then swings north on another and if it doesnt come back the way it came, it could end up bieng turned that way. Another way is by running it through a "wye" track. Having worked on a real railroad most of my life, I have seen many shippers ship cars with placards on them stating, "unload this side only". I such a case we would have to run them through a "wye" in the yard. Other railroads that dont have access to a "wye" must ship the car back to the shipper or yard along the way in which it came if they have turning cabability. It takes time and costs money, but some items just wont come out of the car from both sides. I have also seen cars uloaded from the wrong side from what the placard stated and seen the inside product come crashing out to the ground once the incorrect door was forced open!