Hi all,

Our organization needs to move a 24RL brake equipped locomotive dead, but with air mu'ed to a Norfolk Southern consist so that the independent works with the consist's independent. I need to test the system for a "hospital" move. We are not being required to do a COT&S. But we do need operational brakes.

We have a GP7 with a 6BL air brake. The EMD manual states that a 6BL is not mu'able to a 24RL.

First question. Has anyone found a workaround so that the 24RL can be tested with the 6BL?

Second question. Does anyone know of a procedure using shop air or a test device to accomplish the same thing?

Third question. Anyone know how to interconnect the hoses on the 24RL to a modern (assuming 26) system as the mu lines are called different names on each piping diagram? I know a long time ago I saw documentation on this but cannot put my hands on it.

Thanks much,

Dale Grice

Here is a pdf of an older air brake section that covers hooking 6 and 24 type equipment to 26L systems.

for testing purposes, if you hook a sanding MU hose on the 6BL unit to the "Actuating", or "Release" hose of the 24RL unit, you can simulate bailing off the 24 unit by using the sanding lever,. The Cylinder equalizing hose of the 6BL unit would connect to the application hose of the 24RL unit.

Jeff

Dale,

Most of the time the NS folks we've worked with prefer the unit to be set up "dead in tow" as opposed to MU'd or in consist. We've even been asked to remove the MU hoses in some cases, depending on the inspector. If your unit has a J-64 or J-46, you will be putting a little less pressure in the cylinders DIT hopefully reducing the chance of sliding the wheels.

DIT for 24RL is Automatic in RELEASE position, Independent in the RUNNING position, Double-Heading cock CUTOUT, open the Dead Engine cut out cock (under the floor), and move the Rotair valve to the "PASS" position. Once this is done, you can check the brakes with a single car tester or pretty much any other locomotive. Generally we check it as though conducting an Initial Terminal brake test. Charge system to 90 psi, take a 25 psi reduction, LAP, time one minute, check leakage during the second minute -- max of 5 psi drop during the second minute. Realistically you need to be well under that 5 psi per minute -- a lot of times if we can get it under 2 psi per minute we feel pretty good.

There are a few other things you can do to reduce the chance of slid wheels and encourage passing the IT. You can contact me off list for details. Results may vary, blah, blah, blah....

ETA