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[quote user="rfpjohn"] With a 20 lb reduction, engine left running, leakage should not cause a release. The brakes would have no greater a tendency to rapidly release with the engine shut down, other than any leakage in the trainline would not be compensated for by the pressure maintaining feature. The brakes would continue to draw down at a slow service rate, from leakage, until the brake pipe pressure reaches zero. The brake cylinder pressure would not diminish up to this point, after the train line reaches zero, natural leakage would eventually release the brakes. On a fully charged brake system, it should take a LONG time for the brakes to leak off on 73 cars. This is why I find the "insufficient hand brakes" explanation for the Quebec disaster hard to swallow. Something more had to happen.   [/quote] Okay, so leakage would not release the brakes within a couple hours if the brakes were set at a 20 lb. reduction.  And shutting down the locomotive would not cause a release for any reason.  What about leakage into the trainline from the car reservoirs?  I gather that would not release the brakes because the pressure maintaining feature would prevent any trainline pressure increase.   Therefore, the only way the air brakes could have gotten released is that somebody released them.   Is my interpretation accurate?
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