My understanding is each car has only a "parking" brake, no train line braking system. The Brake Van is used to help the engine slow and stop the train. I've seen in the movie,"Von Ryan's Express", that every few cars is a little brake house of the cars. I could be wrong on all acounts, but I tried.
Brooklyn Trolley Dodger wrote: Thamas the Tankl Engine has a "brake van" ......is this a cabbose or a railroad car that has the compressors to power the brakes?
Ahh, no not exactly. In the not too distant past many British lacked continuous brakes through the train. In other words there were brakes on the locomotive, and a man called a Guard in the Brake Van had a hand operated Brake. So when the Locomotive Driver (UK Engineer)wants to stop he applies the locomotive brakes and whistles for the Guard to apply his brake. Of course their freight trains were fairly short and much lighter than ours.
John Beaulieu
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