Well, I do not know if it was preserved as an air brake instruction car. But, the NYCRR had one inside of a Budd built stainless steel coach (I presume it was a coach). There is a picture of it in the Morning Star "NYC Rolling Stock" book (the exact title escapes me at this moment).
I visited it with my Father (NYCRR Engineer, Steam and Passenger Qualified, Lines East) at Buffalo Central Terminal back in the 1970's (may have been just about the time of the formation of Conrail). It was very similar inside to the car preserved at the RR Museum of PA, except the NYC could afford to use a Stainless Steel car for that purpose. I believe the PRR could only afford an old smooth side RPO for their Air Brake Instruction Car. (PRR fans, don't flame me, I was raised in a NYCRR household so of course everything the NYCRR did was just a little bit better than the PRR, ha ha ha).
Very similar inside, lots of piping along one side to simulate a "real" length freight train, an assortment of different schedule brake valves and cylinders, and it all "worked", when you applied the brake valve the cylinders inside the car slammed wood blocks against a fixed frame so you could see exactly how long it took for the application to arrive at the simulated wheels.
Very cool experience, I remember my Dad making a special effort just so I could see the insides of that car. I wonder what ever happened to it ? Of course now they have computer simulators for that... My Dad got "yelled at" because the first time he used the "fancy" Conrail computer simulator he ended up running a "simulated train" around Horseshoe Curve in REVERSE...... The instructor had to point out that the telephones poles (in the simulator) where moving AWAY from the cab, ha ha ha. He finished with 49 years and no fatalities on the NYCRR/PC/Conrail (and Amtrak, before they hired their own crews) so maybe he knew just a little bit more than the computer ???
Cheers, Kevin
|
