Just a technical question - mention is made of vacuum brakes but I could swear there is a Westinghouse air pump visible in the photos, on the right side front corner by the smokeboxes.

Do the locomotives compress air for another purpose than braking, or are the bakes actually air rather than vacuum?

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> Do the locomotives compress air for another
> purpose than braking, or are the bakes
> actually air rather than vacuum?

I should have caught that in editing. The TR introduced American-style Westinghouse compressed air brakes in the 1980s. Prior to that it was steam brakes on the engines and hand brakes on the rolling stock. The TR never used vacuum, though the Ffestiniog does.

eledbetter@rypn.org

> I should have caught that in editing. The TR
> introduced American-style Westinghouse
> compressed air brakes in the 1980s. Prior to
> that it was steam brakes on the engines and
> hand brakes on the rolling stock. The TR
> never used vacuum, though the Ffestiniog
> does.

My wife and I visited north Wales in late July and rode the Talyllyn Railway twice. I really enjoyed the brief on it, and it brought back good memories. Looks like the weather was a bit damp, as it was for us both times (typical summer weather in Wales, we were told).

It is interesting that at least one other steam railway in Wales, the Vale of Rheidol, has also installed air brakes, while others, such as the Ffestiniog, the Welshpool and Llanfair, and the Welsh Highland, use vacuum as you mention. So, for that matter, does the standard gauge Langollyn Railway.

Chris Holombo
Niles Canyon Railway