Railway brakes have evolved from simple closing brakes operated by an individual to more sophisticated systems using boiler pressure, continuous brakes, air brakes, and electromagnetic brakes. Modern railway brakes use regenerative braking to divert active energy for braking. Upgrades to railway brakes have been necessary to handle the higher demands of modern trains.
A railroad brake is a type of braking system on a railroad car. The railway brake has undergone many changes in successive eras of rail transport. Older and more primitive railway braking systems have been converted to more modern apparatus to handle the higher demands of modern trains.
In the older and simpler rail brake systems, the rail brakes were operated by an individual. This person was sometimes called a “brakeman.” The engineer used signals to communicate when the mechanical brakes should be applied.
A closing brake is an example of one of the simpler types of brakes that dominated early rail design. In the closing brake, the brake shoe is controlled by levers. Others use a screw type action.
In the development of railway brakes, designers began using boiler pressure as a braking agent. This eventually led to more sophisticated forms of railway brakes, including continuous brake systems and air brakes. The continuous braking system first appeared as a “chain brake” where a long chain provided a more comprehensive braking agent. Hydraulic systems were also used.
In air braking systems, pressure became the effective braking agent. In some parts of the world, a different system emerged, often called a vacuum system. The vacuum system was in some cases easier to implement, but air brakes were often considered more effective.
New types of railway brakes have supplanted earlier designs. One type of modern electronic brake is the electromagnetic or EM brake. This type of brake uses an electrical signal to implement a mechanical execution of torque for braking. Where other “electro-pneumatic” systems used to be popular, EM brakes have come to dominate much of rail braking technology.
Modern railway brakes often use the principle of regenerative braking. Regenerative braking is a strategy for diverting a vehicle’s active energy and using it for braking. This ultra-effective braking technology is widely used in other types of vehicles as well. There are many ways to make a braking system regenerative, having to do with the effective conversion of one type of energy into another.
When historians look at the evolution of rail technology, they can see how modernization has changed the face of transportation in recent centuries. Observation of changes in railway brakes is part of this study. Along with personal automotive systems, rail brake systems have been continually upgraded to supply the stopping power needed for more powerful modern vehicles.
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