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THE WESTINGHOUSE

No. 6

E-T Locomotive Brake Equipment

The improved, Westinghouse, locomotive air-brake equipment (the term locomotive brake meaning the combined braking apparatus of the engine and tender, which in this system works as a unit), is denominated by the symbols E-T (engine-tender), and the perfected equipment is designated as the No. 6. The No. 5 style of this brake was brought out in 1905, and has been quite generally applied to locomotives built since that date until succeeded by the more perfect design. While the No. 6 does not differ greatly from the preceding style, the points of difference are important enough to warrant the adoption of the latest construction for all locomotives that will be built in the future, and this, the No. 6 E-T equipment, has been selected as the subject of this book of instruction; after it has been fully described, and illustrated, all necessary reference will then be made to the differences embodied in the No. 5, or older, style.

Foreword

The essential idea in the production of the E-T equipment is to furnish a dependable automatic, locomotive brake-which the simple automatic type was not, as it was hard to keep the brake cylinders even reasonably free from pressure leakage. The secondary, straightair, or “independent" brake on the locomotive had become a necessity, and, together with other improvements and attachments demanded by the service in modern train braking, the older system became complicated and erratic. A radical change has been made, and a new type of automatic brake for the locomotive evolved: the E-T, which consists of considerably less apparatus than the former "combined automatic and straight-air brake," while possessing all the advantages of the latter and several other important ones which are necessary in connection with modern locomotive brake appliances.

There being but one equipment (and not requiring different sizes of valves to conform to the several sizes of brake cylinders), it may be applied to any locomotive whether used in high-speed passenger, double-pressure control, ordinary passenger or freight, or any kind of switching service, without change or special adjustment of the brake apparatus. All valves are so designed that they may be removed for repairs and replacement without disturbing the pipe joints.

The locomotive brakes may be used with or independ

ently of the train brakes, and this without regard to the position of the locomotive in the train. They may be applied with any desired pressure between the minimum and the maximum, and this pressure will be automatically maintained in the locomotive-brake cylinders regardless of leakage from them and of variations in piston travel, undesirable though these defects are, until released by the brake valve. They can be graduated on or off with either the automatic or the independent brake-valves; hence, in all kinds of service the train can be handled without shock or danger of parting, and in passenger service smooth, accurate stops can be made with greater ease than was heretofore possible.

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