Re: Dumber question

The scheme I think you are talking about is also commonly called a "detached cylinder and reservoir". Early cars in general were of this type when they used a plain triple valve which was mounted by a heavy gauge pipe nipple to the end of the brake reservoir which was a steel tank vs. the later cast iron variety. The cylinder was plumbed separately, but could easily occupy the exact same space as the cylinder with attached reservoir and K triple, depending on if the original location would allow for the added in line length without running into a needle beam. An extant example would be the DRGW RPO that is at the Sumpter Valley which has it's original brake system with plain triple. SVRy caboose 3 had this system before restoration, but the components were practically beyond restoration for service.
Detached reservoir and cylinder systems continued to be used in the K brake era under cars that did not allow space for the lengthy combined units. The EBT hoppers are an example of this. SVRy Caboose 3 and 5 also currently have the detached K brake scheme due to space considerations.
Wabco did make a head for brake cylinders that allowed the P, H or K triple valve to be located on the brake cylinder and with the reservoir located remote and pipe connected over to the triple valve. The Bingham and Garfield business car at SVRy is an example of this with a P1 triple on the end of the brake cylinder with a pipe connection to the remote reservoir. Based on extant plugged pipe tees and a short line to nowhere I judge that this car has it's second generation brake system, having first had one with a plain triple like the above mentioned DRGW RPO.
I've thought from time to time of scanning the old WABCO parts books to share with others who may have an interest in early air brakes. Westinghouse made available a great many fairly obscure variations on the commonly seen system components.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2010 07:16PM by J.B.Bane.