Unrealistic brakes on the Peninsula Corridor GP38-2

[mrgreen]

Perhaps this is in the wrong sub forum. If so feel free to move it, mods.

The way I understand North American Freight brakes is that when the equalizer reservoir pressure is lowered below the brake pipe pressure, the brake cylinder pressure increase and the brakes will apply. Only then. So if for example the brake has recently been applied and the brake pipe pressure is recharging, making another reduction will only give a brake application that is proportional to BP pressure - EQ pressure. More specifically, lets say I make a 8 PSI reduction, release the brakes and make another 10 PSI reduction I will only get 2 PSI brakes.

Taking this (hopefully correct) information further it seems logical to me that it can be applied to each independent car in the train. Since the train will charge the brake pipe from the front (without any rear DPUs) you might have this situation on some of the rear cars but not in the front of the train.

This last scenario is where I think DTG got the brakes wrong.

I was running a scenario on the Peninsula Corridor (although I'm pretty sure this applies to all the NA freight trains) and had recently made an initial reduction and then released, so the EOTD read 80 PSI, but the brake pipe read 90 PSI in the locomotive. I made a new initial reduction which should not (I think) have made the EQ reservoir go below the rear cars brake pipe pressure but the EOTD reading started dropping anyway and settled on 72PSI.

Isn't this wrong?