Dead mans pedal

[sanvtoman]

 

    Sorry if this is an old question. Do the newer GE and EMD wide nose engines have dead man pedals or switches? Thanx! 

[trainboyH16-44]

No. They have an alerter that goes off if you don't move a control for a period of time, then you have to press the button, otherwise it goes off at an increasing rate until it puts the train in emergency

[John Busby]

Hi sanvtoman

The dead mans pedal went out a long time ago.

I believe this was caused by the drivers being able to easily over ride it.

Now a driver must operate a control handle or push the vigilance button every 90 seconds.

Failure to do so and the brakes come on which cannot be stopped, once the train comes to a stand it takes two minutes before the train can proceed that is assuming the driver only went to sleep.

Regards John

[wabash1]

Modern engines dont have dead mans peadles anymore its called a alerter system, Now if you dont blow the horn bail the brakes hit the whisker or the button, change throttle position or hit the sanders it will give you a penalty brake application, it never has gave a emergency brake application,  and as far as resetting the brakes it can be done while still rolling, the fra dont like ya doing it but it can be done. Not all engines have a alerter  so if the engineer goes to sleep and the conductor is asleep, you really have a run away.

[sanvtoman]

 

     Thanx for all the info!!

[mackb4]

  

    Hey wabash1, you was never guilty of putting your grip on the pedal was yea ?

   Most alerters cycle after 45 seconds.Some less some more.

  The reset ranges from a little spring that sticks out from the engineers stand on non widebodies to a button on a desktop loco. .

  And like wabash1 said ,if the alerter is about to get you,simply place the automatic brake handle in suppresion for a little time (while bailing off the independet brake) than knock it back off.That usually takes care of the brakes setting up.

 The only pedals on locos anymore are the older cab signal equiped engines that have a big button style pedal in the floor against the engineers wall.

 You can set the brakes up on the train if you hold it down too long while moving also .Yeah that's happened to me  . 

[route_rock]

  LOL mack we had a guy do that and lock up the yard. We learned not to hold down the alerter reset on SD40-2's!

 

  My favorite is the new ES44's that have a horn sequencer where the left alerter reset used to be.Nothing like hearing one of those go blasting through the yard and the Hostler/engineer beating the hell out of the control trying to get it to shut off!

[mackb4]

  LOL mack we had a guy do that and lock up the yard. We learned not to hold down the alerter reset on SD40-2's!

 

  My favorite is the new ES44's that have a horn sequencer where the left alerter reset used to be.Nothing like hearing one of those go blasting through the yard and the Hostler/engineer beating the hell out of the control trying to get it to shut off!

 

     Yeah whats the deal about that crazy thing anyway ??

 The NS's new EMD 2500-2600 series ,has a bell that rings for 30 seconds after you blow the horn.Now that's not the old deaf Engineer forgetting to turn the bell off now,ha,ha.ha  !

[enr2099]

No. They have an alerter that goes off if you don't move a control for a period of time, then you have to press the button, otherwise it goes off at an increasing rate until it puts the train in emergency

 

Not emergency, but full service train brake.  

[csxengineer98]

No. They have an alerter that goes off if you don't move a control for a period of time, then you have to press the button, otherwise it goes off at an increasing rate until it puts the train in emergency

it dosnt put the train into emergancy.. it puts on a penalty application which is the equivilent to full service brake appliction at a service rate.. to bring it to a controlled stop...

csx engineer 

[trainboyH16-44]

Oop. Minor mistake.

I suppose it's much more sensible that way since trains can get a bit...odd when they're big holed. 

[Anonymous]

in the UK drivers would stick objects on the dead mans pedal there has even been cases were the pedal and handle have been rendered usless due to the design if you croak it the weight on these items is supposed to releave. no such luck if you croak wer do you fall? forward in most cases, so your weight goes on the device. so the new alearter device is more reliable. the first alternitive to the dead mans pedal and /or handle in the UK was a system called the AWS which stood for Automatic Warning System that is the birth palce to the alearter device people talk about here. it involve  a device that when u passed a trackside signal at danger or caution it would sound a klaxon, if the button to cancel it was not pushed within 5sec's it would apply the brakes and stop the train.

[Mr_Ash]

in the UK drivers would stick objects on the dead mans pedal there has even been cases were the pedal and handle have been rendered usless due to the design if you croak it the weight on these items is supposed to releave. no such luck if you croak wer do you fall? forward in most cases, so your weight goes on the device. so the new alearter device is more reliable. the first alternitive to the dead mans pedal and /or handle in the UK was a system called the AWS which stood for Automatic Warning System that is the birth palce to the alearter device people talk about here. it involve  a device that when u passed a trackside signal at danger or caution it would sound a klaxon, if the button to cancel it was not pushed within 5sec's it would apply the brakes and stop the train.

lol so if they have a clear road ahead they can sleep most of the trip

"wake me up if somthing bad is going to happen"

 

[ukengineer]

in the UK drivers would stick objects on the dead mans pedal there has even been cases were the pedal and handle have been rendered usless due to the design if you croak it the weight on these items is supposed to releave. no such luck if you croak wer do you fall? forward in most cases, so your weight goes on the device. so the new alearter device is more reliable. the first alternitive to the dead mans pedal and /or handle in the UK was a system called the AWS which stood for Automatic Warning System that is the birth palce to the alearter device people talk about here. it involve  a device that when u passed a trackside signal at danger or caution it would sound a klaxon, if the button to cancel it was not pushed within 5sec's it would apply the brakes and stop the train.

lol so if they have a clear road ahead they can sleep most of the trip

"wake me up if somthing bad is going to happen"

No, this is two seperate systems that we have.

A.W.S Automatic warming device sound's a bell in the cab if the signal is clear and you dont have to do anything.If the signal is at caution or stop then a horn sounds in the cab.If you dont acknowledge this by pressing a reset button within two seconds then a full application of the brake will happen bringing you to a standstill.

 

Our pedal is a vigilence type. You have to keep the pedal depressed and every 3 minutes a beep beep sounds.You have to lift your feet off the pedal and put them down again to reset it.Otherwise again the brakes will apply to bring you to a stand.