Train Equipments/components:

The modern passenger train has a number of on-board services, both for
passengers and control systems. They are almost all electrically powered,
although some require compressed air and a few designs use hydraulic fluid.
Since a train is virtually a self contained unit, all the services are powered and
used on board. Many different types exist. Their use and features can be
summarised as follows:

Compressed air - Train safety requires that an effective brake system is

available at all times. One of the oldest and most reliable braking systems used
on trains employs compressed air. Other systems on trains have used
compressed air, such as door operation, traction systems, suspension and
coupler operation.

Battery - Normally provided on locomotives and trains as a basic, low voltage

standby current supply source and for start up purposes when livening up a dead
vehicle. The battery is normally charged from the on-board auxiliary power
supply.

Generator - the traditional source on a train for on-board, low voltage

supplies. The generator is a DC machine driven by the diesel engine or, on
electric locomotives, by a motor powered from the traction current supply. On
a coach, the generator was often driven directly off an axle (a dynamo), a large
bank of batteries providing power for lighting when the train was stationary.

Alternator - the replacement for the generator which provides AC voltages

instead of DC for auxiliary supplies. AC is better than DC because it is easier
to transmit throughout a train, needing smaller cables and suffering reduced
losses. Needs a rectifier to convert the AC for the battery charging and any
other DC circuits.

Electrical Systems:A locomotive or multiple unit is provided with two

electrical systems, high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV). The high voltage
system provides power for traction and a source of power for the low voltage
system. The low voltage system supplies all the auxiliary systems on the train
like lighting, air conditioning, battery charging and control circuits. The two
are separated because the high voltage required for traction is not needed for
most of the other systems on the train so it is wasteful and expensive to use the
high voltage.

The Compressor:Compressed air is almost always used for brakes and

sometimes for powering train doors. Also once popular for powering traction
power switches or contactors. It is usually used for raising pantographs on
overhead line systems. Compressed air needs drying after compression to avoid
moisture from condensation getting into valves. The compressor is normally
driven directly from the main power source (the overhead line or third rail on
electrified lines or the main generator on diesel powered vehicles). The
compressor itself consists of a pump driven by an electric motor. Power from
the motor comes from the on-board electrical supply or, sometimes, directly
from the traction supply. On electric locomotives, the supply can come from the
transformer, via a rectifier and on a diesel locomotive, from the auxiliary
alternator. On some diesel locomotives, the compressor is driven directly from
the diesel engine by way of a connecting shaft.

Figure: A typical EMU air compressor, designed to be fitted under a train floor.

Automatic Couplers:Many EMU's are provided with automatic couplers,

usually at the ends of the unit. The coupler provides for all electrical,
mechanical and pneumatic connections and is usually remotely operated from
the driver's cab, or at least, inside the car. In the case of the MR pipe
connection, a valve will open to provide the connection to the next unit once the
cars are confirmed as coupled.
Sometimes, automatic couplers are operated by a compressed air supply. This is
used to provide power to engage and disengage the mechanical coupling and to
open and close the connecting valves and contacts.

Doors:Many rapid transit and suburban trains still use air operated door
systems, controlled from the cab at one end of the train but using air stored in
reservoirs on each car. The reservoirs are replenished automatically by way of
their connection to the main reservoir pipe. Door systems usually use lower than
normal MR air pressure. However, electric operators are the preferred option
these days.

Air Suspension Placing the car body on air pressure springs instead of the
traditional steel springs has become common over the last 20 years for
passenger vehicles. The air spring gives a better ride and the pressure can be
adjusted automatically to compensate for additions or reductions in passenger
loads. The changes in air pressure are used to give the brake and acceleration
equipment the data needed to allow a constant rate according to the load on the
vehicle.

Driver's Brake Control:Most trains use compressed air for brake operation.
Most locomotives and older EMU's use a pneumatic brake control system which
requires a brake valve to be operated by the driver. The valve controls the flow
of air into and out of the brake pipe which, in turn, controls the brakes on each
vehicle in the train consist. The driver's brake valve is connected to the MR pipe
in the cab so that there is always a constant supply of air available to replenish
the brake control system when required. An isolating cock is provided in the cab
so that the brake control can be closed off when the cab is not in use.
 Bogies
Railway bogies are hardly noticed by the average passenger but they are an
essential part of the the train, its drive system and its guidance mechanism. A
standard railway vehicle will have two bogies, generally located near the
vehicles ends. Each bogie is a 4-wheeled or 6-wheeled truck that provides the
support for the vehicle body and which is used to provide its traction and
braking. Each carriage (called a car in North America and some other English
speaking countries and still so called in the electric traction business) has two
bogies. The bogies support the mass of the vehicle, use the wheels to guide it
along the track and provide some degree of cushioning against the shocks
transmitted from the track during motion.
Bogie Frame: Can be of steel plate or cast steel. In this case, it is a
modern design of welded steel box format where the structure is formed into
hollow sections of the required shape.

Brake Cylinder:An air brake cylinder is provided for each wheel. A

cylinder can operate tread or disc brakes. Some designs incorporate parking
brakes as well. Some bogies have two brake cylinders per wheel for heavy
duty braking requirements. Each wheel is provided with a brake disc on each
side and a brake pad actuated by the brake cylinder. A pair of pads is hung
from the bogie frame and activated by links attached to the piston in the brake
cylinder. When air is admitted into the brake cylinder, the internal piston
moves these links and causes the brake pads to press against the discs. A brake
hanger support bracket carries the brake hangers, from which the pads are hung.

Primary Suspension Coil: A steel coil spring, two of which are fitted
to each axle-box in this design. They carry the weight of the bogie frame and
anything attached to it.

Gearbox: This contains the pinion and gearwheel which connects the drive
from the armature to the axle.

Lifting Lug: Allows the bogie to be lifted by a crane without the need to tie
chains or ropes around the frame.
Motor: Normally, each axle has its own motor. It drives the axle through the
gearbox. Some designs, particularly on tramcars, use a motor to drive two axles

Axlebox Cover: Simple protection for the return current brush, if fitted,
and the axle bearing lubrication.

Brakes
Air Brake:
This is the most common type of train brake. It uses compressed air to apply
the brake block (or pad) to the wheel and to control the operation of the brake
along the train. The compressed air is supplied by a motor driven compressor
on the locomotive or train.The brake control is actuated from a "driver's brake
valve". This valve is used to feed air to the brake pipe or to allow air to escape
from the brake pipe. A fall in brake pipe air pressure causes a brake
application on each vehicle whilst a restoration of pressure causes the brake to
release.A distributor (or "triple valve" as it was always called and sometimes
still is) on each vehicle monitors the pressure in the brake pipe. When brake
pipe pressure falls, the distributor allows air from an auxiliary reservoir on the
vehicle to pass to the brake cylinders to apply the brake. When brake pipe
pressure rises, the distributor releases the air from the brake cylinder and
recharges the auxiliary reservoir for the next application. The release of air
from the brake cylinder allows the block to be released from the wheel by a
spring.

E-P (electro-pneumatic) Brake Control:A form of electro-

pneumatic brake, normally restricted to multiple unit trains, which uses a single
train wire to control the braking on each vehicle. The brake commands consist
of pulses of electricity applied to the wire, a continuous signal denoting brake
release and a loss of signal an emergency brake application. The brake control
valve on each vehicle detects the length of the pulses and provides air input to
the brake cylinders accordingly. The air supply is from the main reservoir pipe.
Dynamic Brake: In an ideal world, the dynamic brake will be
used as much as possible to reduce wear on brake pads (or
blocks) and there are often circumstances when the dynamic
brake will provide all the braking required. However, it is normal
to leave a little air in the brake cylinders in case the dynamic
brake switches off suddenly. This reduces the time taken for air
pressure to restore to the demand level when dynamic braking is
lost.
Brake Frame: An assembly rack for train brake control
equipment mounted under or inside a vehicle. Sometimes
referred to as a 'brake unit'.
Brake Pad: Composition material used as the friction medium
on vehicles equipped with disc brakes. Brake pads for railway
vehicles are similar to those used on road vehicles but larger.
They are applied to the braking disc through levers operated by
the brake cylinder. Such systems usually require a brake cylinder
for each braking disc.
Brake Pipe: The pipe used to control train brakes on vehicles
fitted with automatic air or vacuum brake systems. In the US,
often referred to as the 'train line'. On air braked trains, when
charged, the brake pipe causes the train brakes to be released and
the reservoirs (called auxiliary reservoirs) used to apply brakes to
be automatically replenished. When pressure in the brake pipe is
reduced, train brakes are applied.
Brake Release Valve: A valve provided on each vehicle in a
train to allow the brake to be released manually on that vehicle.
Sometimes operated by a lever mounted in a suitable location for
access by the crew or (on a suitably equipped EMU) can be
operated remotely by the driver in the cab. Some versions have a
bleed hole on a brake isolating cock which performs the same
function if it is necessary to isolate the brakes of one car from the
rest of the train.
Types of Brakes

* the air brake, which uses compressed air to apply the brakes on
each vehicle and as the driver's train brake control medium.
* the vacuum brake, which uses the atmospheric pressure in
opposition to a specially created vacuum both to control and
actuate the brake.
* the dynamic brake, which uses the electric motors of the
traction power system to generate current during braking which is
absorbed into a resistor (rheostatic braking) or back into the
railway power supply (regenerative braking).
* the parking brake, used to hold an unattended vehicle when the
braking system is shut down. Often referred to as the 'handbrake'
where it has to be manually applied on each vehicle as opposed to
the automatic application provided on the most modern vehicles.
Not all vehicles are equipped with parking brakes.
* the track brake, used on some light rail vehicles and trams
where large magnets are hung under the vehicle over the rails and
current is passed through them to induce a strong magnetic force.
The attraction between the magnets and the rails causes the
vehicle to stop. Mostly used for emergency braking.
Electro-Pneumatic Brakes:

The traditional air brake works well enough in the hands of a

skilled driver but it has a number of shortcomings. Its control
system relies on the changes in brake pipe pressure to control the
application and release of the brakes. This means that a command
by the driver to alter the pressure is felt by the front of the train
first and then gradually by the rest of the train until it reaches the
end. This can cause trouble on a long train if it is not handled
carefully, particularly during release when leading vehicles in
release mode can pull on rearmost vehicles which still have
brakes applied.The brake pipe is also used to replenish the air
reservoirs on each vehicle, a slow process on a long train. Time
has to be allowed between successive applications for reservoirs
to recharge. Finally, the automatic air brake has no partial release
capability. Once the driver has demanded a release, it will
happen and brakes can only be reapplied when the reservoir
pressure has recharged to a value higher than the brake cylinder
pressure.What was recognised many years ago was that electrical
control could overcome these problems. Since the early 1900s,
when electrical control of brakes was tried on the New York
Subway, various systems and solutions have been tried.Most
electro-pneumatic brake systems have been designed so that they
can be added to the traditional air brake system to allow more
rapid responses to the driver's braking commands. For example,
in the simple version used on the UK High Speed trains, each end
of the train has an electrically operated valve. When an
application is called for at one end, the valve opens the brake pipe
at the other end so that both ends are exhausting air at the same
time. A simple version of this, called an EOT (End of Train
device) is used on US freight trains for emergency application. A
earlier development first tried on multiple unit trains in the UK in
the 1920s, consisted of a system whereby the application and
release of the brake was achieved by electrically controlled valves
on each vehicle. It was originally designed early this century for
rapid transit trains in the US to overcome the natural delay which
occurs due to the propagation of the pure air brake and quickly
adopted in Europe. Normally the electrical control is additional to
and superimposed upon the automatic air brake, although more
recent systems incorporate a fail safe electrical control which
eliminates the need for a separate brake pipe.
See digital and analogue e-p systems.A basic e-p brake system as
applied to a multiple unit train comprises an electrically operated
"holding valve" and "application valve" on each car together with
control wires running the length of the train. The main reservoir is
also connected to each car on the train by a main reservoir pipe.
Often more than one main reservoir is provided. Usually, each car
also has an "e-p brake reservoir".The e-p brake operates
independently of the air brake. It uses main reservoir air instead
of brake pipe air and the air brake and triple valves are kept in the
release position. The e-p brake is controlled from the same
driver's brake valve as the air brake but using new positions to
apply and release the e-p brake. Electrical connections attached to
the driver's brake valve send commands along the train to the
holding and application valves on each car.To apply the brake the
driver selects "Application", which causes all holding and
application valves to energise. The holding valve closes off the
brake cylinder exhaust and the application valve opens to admit
main reservoir air into the brake cylinder. The brakes apply.
Selecting "Release" de-energises the valves, closing the
application valve and cutting off the main reservoir pipe
connection and opening the holding valve to allow brake cylinder
air to exhaust. The advantage of the e-p system is that it allows
instantaneous reaction on all cars at the same time and it allows
small and graduated applications and releases. This gives accurate
and rapid stopping, which is particularly important in suburban
and rapid transit operations.
E-P brakes are not normally used on freight trains because of the
diversity of wagons and the cost of conversion. Also, getting an
electric signal to transmit at a low voltage down a very long train
is difficult. Radio control has been suggested, as has fitting each
car with a battery. Some experimental e-p systems are being tried
in the US in an attempt to improve brake control. The real test
however, will be the willingness of railway companies to spend
time and money doing the conversions.
Vacuum Brake:

The automatic braking system where the brakes on each vehicle

are actuated by the action of atmospheric pressure over a pre-
formed vacuum. The brake pipe- is normally evacuated by a
motor driven exhauster to create a vacuum and release the train
brakes The vacuum developed in the brake pipe is measured in
inches of mercury and is usually in the range of 21 to 25 inches
for a fully charged system. As the degree of vacuum was by no
means standardised in the UK, this caused some problems on
joint services. For example, cases are recorded where Southern
Railway engines could not release the brakes on Great Western
Railway trains because the GWR vacuum was higher and the SR
engines could not create sufficient vacuum to equalise throughout
the train. They had to destroy the vacuum completely and start
again - this causing delays.The system has fewer valves than the
equivalent air brake system but it has the disadvantage that
response time and braking distances for a given weight of train
are usually longer - over 50% in most cases.In an attempt to speed
up the propagation rate, later versions were fitted with accelerator
valves on each vehicle. As soon as this valve detected a reduction
in vacuum level, it admitted air locally into the brake pipe and
brake cylinder, thereby speeding up the application. As soon as
vacuum pressure was restored, the valve closed to prevent further
air intake.One big advantage of the vacuum brake is the ability to
graduate release as well as application. The air brake triple valve
was designed to allow a graduated application but, once set in the
release position, it could not stop the release until the air pressure
in the auxiliary reservoir was restored. Modern air braking
systems are designed to overcome this and allow graduated
release.The vacuum brake is obsolete as far as railway braking is
concerned but it is still used by those older equipped lines around
the world which were based on British practice. For example,
there are still EMUs operating in South Africa with vacuum
brakes.