Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="zugmann"] [quote user="Bucyrus"] It is easier to start trains with bunched slack.  But other than that one silver lining, slack is the veritable Great Satan of loose car railroading.  We would all be richer today had it not been for slack.   <div style="clear:both;"></div> [/quote]I think I speak for many here when I say:  huh?[/quote] I am just saying that slack is a necessary evil.  It is necessary to make couplers work without having more complexity and cost.  It is evil because it causes damage, injuries, and death. I emphasize the point because I get the impression that not everyone sees the downside of slack.  Some might believe that slack is just one more element of perfected railroad practice like wheel flanges and air hoses.  Indeed, I have seen references that say slack was invented for the purpose of starting trains one car at a time. I seem to recall dozens of articles and references in Trains over the years decrying slack as the one bad element from the pioneering era that was never gotten rid of.  It was always portrayed as enemy number one.  Today, better control of slack is one of the primary advantages championed for ECP brakes on the horizon.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag