Did any of the records and technical data of brake rigging applied to Baldwin locomotives in 1920 survive? Where would the records be?

Probably not.

The problem is finding a real 1920 Baldwin that still has a complete set of drawings available to look through.

Those Baldwins did get a lot of requests (by Master Mechanics) for changes to be made from standard parts to outside vendors offerings, so you never know what you might find on any specific Baldwin.

Brake rigging designs from the 1920 time period would be in the "Locomotive & Car Cyclopedia"(s) and maybe one of the documented "Master Merchanics" mettings (that were made into books) would be a start.

You could dig through the Penn State Archives and maybe stumble onto something, but they do not have the time frame that you are looking for, they have the 1938-to-end Baldwin collections. If its specific claims and details from the brake beam suppliers, I think the RR & RY trade publications would give you more results to work with.

Brake rigging designs from the 1920 time period would be in the "Locomotive & Car Cyclopedia"(s) and could be in some of the documented "Master Mechanics" meetings (that were made into books) would be a start.

By using a 1920 Baldwin Erecting Drawing and then checking that against the brake parts "Card file" drawing on the same 1920 locomotive,you could find out what they wre using.

I've got a 1923 Loco & Car Cyclopedia. Want me to look for anything specific about Baldwin Locomotive brake beams for you? Maybe I could try to answer wheather Baldwin was using their own brake beams or those of outside suppliers, in most cases? What can I do to help?

The 1941 Locomotive Cyclopedia has an ad page for The American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company (NY, NY) on page 11-863. I don't know if that is related. Everything else is Westinghouse or NY.

Steve

I have the drawings for a Baldwin 0-6-0 built in 1916, if that helps.

I was interested in why you titled your post "American Brake Company"? I have always associated American Brake Company of St Louis, Mo. with slack adjusters. They were acquired by Westinghouse Air Brake, probably by 1910. WABCo continued to sell their product for many years. They still support some parts for American Brake Company hardware. If there are any American Brake Company drawings still in existance, they are probably at Wilmerding, PA.

I have more information regarding the locomotive that I am researching.

Baldwin construction number: 53296
Baldwin classification number: 10-22D-94
Build date: June 1920

From the Baldwin "Specification for Locomotives" card:
"Brake, position on all driving and Tender wheels"
"Operating | Eng sch No. 6 ET [i]W[i]estg. combined auto and straight air."
"Foundation | Drivers, sch. M-1 Ameircan O. S Equalized"

Manufacturers code plate on cylinder lever on locomotive:
American Brake Company, Saint Louis, Missouri
Patended May 17,1892 Patended March 7,1893 Patended June 10,1905
Brake # 94641

Apparently American Brake Company provided the foundation brake rigging for the steam locomotives or at least the primary brake lever and fulcrum. There is very little on foundation brake rigging for air brakes in the Baldwin Locomotive Works standard practice that I have access to, but references to ABCo.
I am looking for the origional drawings for this application (BLW #53296)IF they exist. I have access to the actual locomotive so, I can see what the parts that are in use actually look like.
Thanks for the leads to all who have responded and may yet respond.
John

John: the design of the brake equipment was dependent on the wheel arrangement, and set up such that through different lengths of levers, all the brake shoes would be applied with equal force. Obviously, if the first brake beam after the cylinder also transferred power to all the other brake beams, it had to be set up such that only its proportional share of force went to its shoes directly and all the other force was sent along to its subsequent beams. The levers were used - in different lengths proportional to the force consumed VS transferred - to distribute the braking power. You can find drawings showing the different brake lever and beam arrangements used on different wheel arrangements circa 1920 in various cyclopedias, old manuals, etc. I think if you know the wheel arrangement and find some old documents for that wheel arrangement it will be clearly understandable to you when seen in situ.

dave

I believe this to be an American Brake Company part, its quite hard to read the tag, but figured it would be nice to add to the record. This is on CNR 1531 in Barrie, Ontario, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in August 1910 for the Canadian Northern Railway, which later became part of the CNR in 1919.

joe6167 I agree, that is an American Brake Company tag that you posted.
John

Interesting how there is a Westinghouse logo on that tag

The American Brake Company of St. Louis, MO published some technical data that has found its way online, thanks to Google Books. Searching there, may yield the information you desire. Here are a few examples:

http://books.google.com/books?id=9z5PAQAAIAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=P0FKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA21#v=onepage&q&f=false

As an aside, the Company's works and HQ were located at 2nd and Tyler Streets. This is just south of the McKinley Bridge. The building appears to have survived, though I will have to check it out one day.