Two Questions related to Petersburg Va

[NW Mailing List]

On 8/17/2017 1:52 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List wrote:

> There was a hair-raising incident that happened at City Point Branch
> Junction in the early 70s.  The ABDW brake valve had been introduced.
> It would react to even the slightest brake pipe reduction.  Special
> instructions were posted that when making a cut, brake pipe pressure
> would be reduced to 30 lbs. (?) and when the meter steadied at 30,
> the engineer would sound the whistle to make the cut. Only then
> was the brakeman to slowly close the angle cock and pull the pin.
> Crewe had arranged with Lamberts Point to run a hopper train with
> only 40 empties in order to fill out with more empties at Broadway Yard.
> After stopping on the slope towards to Appomattox River, the head
> brakeman immediately made the cut, not waiting for the signal.  The
> engine passed City Point Branch Junction, then backed into Broadway
> Yard for the pick up.  While the head end crew was there, it took a
> few minutes, but the ABDW brake valve reacted, released the brakes
> on the 40 empties (and caboose) and they started downhill.  The
> Conductor was thinking - "Gosh, they made a fast pick-up",  It was
> only after he spotted his crew waving "STOP" as he passed Broadway
> that he realized he was in command of a "runaway".  Harry Bundy

Harry,
That is not exactly what happened. The brakeman,trying to make a quick 
move, "bottled" the air (closed both anglecocks) at the cut He was 
hoping to save the air in the standing portion of the train so that part 
of the train did not have to be pumped up with air upon returning to the 
train. This no-no of bottling the air was explained in the Air Brake 
Instruction Car and this incident was used as an example of what could 
happen.

Jimmy Lisle

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