Passenger vs Freight train handling

One thing about a passenger consist is that it's generally just one locomotive and a handful of cars. I'd expect it to be much easier to handle than, say, a mile-long freight.

 

Rode the LIRR, pretty smooth ride, never been on a freight

Been on many freight trains as conductor.  No time spent working passenger trains.  But, i will tell you this, freight won't complain if jostled a bit.

 

Rick

The freight might not complain but I assure you the brakeman will when he has to go change the knuckle(s). :-)

There is quite a bit of difference.

 

On freight cars, when the brakes are applied on the cars and the automatic brake valve raises the brake pipe pressure (even just a couple of PSI) ALL of the cars release their brakes completely.  So, when you stop a freight train, the brakes remain fully applied to the level that you applied them until the train stops.

 

On passenger cars, when the brakes are applied, the release of brakes can be graduated by making several brake pipe increases using the automatic brake valve.  This allows smooth stops and smooth transitions from slowing the train for a curve or other reason.

 

Demonstrate what this does, in your automobile, by applying the brake and not easing up at all on the brake pedal until the car comes to a solid stop that makes your head bobble.  Then repeat the stop, easing up on the brake pedal as you come to a smooth stop.

 

There's more to passenger train handling, of course, and finesse is very important for passenger comfort.  Although the air brakes on passenger equipment are capable of very high performance, you have to resist hot rodding, because it is very uncomfortable for the passengers, and you might be able to decelerate at a rate that could cause a standing passenger to lose their balance, fall, and sustain an injury.  Historically, most Engineers who were disqualified from passenger service either spilled the food in the diner or caused a passenger to fall.  Because you are usually covering ground very fast on passenger, you have to always be thinking ahead about rapidly approaching curves, restrictions, stops, etc. You take all the turnouts at less than their permissible speed.  You never, never get caught dreaming and go around a curve too fast.  On freight, you also have to think ahead, but you usually have to begin reducing speed earlier because it takes more distance to slow or stop, due to the length and weight of the train.

 

And slack -- Hot Water is correct.  There is definitely slack on passenger equipment and you could definitely give noticeable and uncomfortable slack action by mishandling the air brakes.

Yes!

Oh yes, slack action on passenger trains!  Was on a long-ago (1961) fan trip out of the long-gone B&O Grand Central Station in Chicago, powered by Dick Jensen's ex-GTW 4-6-2 #5629. Departing the station the trackage converged on a sharp curve and rather abrupt grade, heading to the Chicago River bridge. Good old 5629 had a heck of a time on that curve, slipping like crazy, which immediately suspended forward progress, sending slack action shock waves through the train. Things got so severe that an elderly lady fell and broke her arm. A B&OCT SW was coupled on to the rear of the train, and we marched smartly up the curve and the grade, and on to fan trip glory!

For the Old Heads only:

Question: "Do you know how to run a train ! ? ! ?

My favorite answer (in the proper company): "Sure...put it in run 8 and straight-air the pi** out of it."

That never failed to get an approving grin. 

There certainly is a difference.  While my experience was all at low speeds, starting stopping and braking a passenger train is all about finesse.  There is some slack in between the cars, and in fact how tight the cars are too each other has little to do with diaphragms between the cars, and everything to do with the couplers and draft gear. 

One the other hand, 14 tank cars of chemical sloshing around, even at yard speeds as you try to start and stop them for spotting can kick your butt if you get them really sloshing around.

 

As an example, the smoothest steam passenger train work I've been involved with was switching directions after going through a switch.  The engineer, I was the firemen for this trip, managed to very slowly stretch out the train and throw the johnson bar over into forward so smoothly that the ride-along in the cab said "hey - are we going forward now?!"  The whole maneuver was done with almost no brake application so we didn't need to build pressure back up.  Smooth as glass and one my most pleasant memories of steam operation.