Two questions today:
Who are the good, reputable companies that can test and recertify the associated valves for both #14 and #6 brake systems? Preferably in the eastern half of the US. We have not been happy with the current company we are using. Looking for recommendations.

Is there anybody here that is intimately familiar with 6SL brake systems that would be willing to talk with me about some operational characteristics? PM me and I can get my number to you.

Thanks in advance
Eric

We’ve used both Multi-Service Supply and Pittsburgh Air Brake but with nothing that old. No complaints. Both should be able to recondition #14 and #6. You’ll have to give them a call on the older stuff to be sure they have cores or parts.

Pittsburg Air Brake Co can help you with #14 brake valves, and should have parts available for the foreseeable future. #6, not looking so good....

Could you explain what you mean by "#6 brake valve" and "#14 brake valve"? There are no such things. There are S-6 and SA-6 independent bake valves and a variety of #6 distributing valves (not to mention the older G-6 automatic brake valve). Same is true for K-14 brake valves and #14 distributing valves. So it's important to know which one you're asking about before anyone can give an accurate answer.

Operation: light engine, use the independent; switching cars: use the independent; carrying the office on the rear of the train with the skipper in it: use stretch braking (unless he's a real jerk). Same applies if you're using 26-L (and not employed on any of the Class Is).

If you would read his post, you would understand what he is talking about. He asks about the #14 and #6 system and the related valves.

Problems within these systems can come from any of the valves within the system. I sent all the valves of the14EL system to Wabtec in Columbia, South Carolina many years ago and when I reinstalled the valves, the system would not work at all. It ended up being the combined independent/automatic valve portion that caused the problem. I contacted the Chicago facility and was told to send the valve there at their expense and they would do it ASAP. I had it back in 3 days. I do not know how the Columbia show certified it, as the Chicago shop said they reassembled it wrong. It worked properly on return.

My M3 feed valve cores I sent in also had to be replaced, as they leaked. I recently had an H-5 valve cause the failure of a 26NL system, because someone had broken off the corner of a mounting bolt hole, letting the valve leak.

> If you would read his post, you would understand what he is talking about. He asks about the #14 and #6 system and the related valves.

I was thinking of the other posters who specifically referred to "#6 brake valves" and "#14 brake valves".

FWIW, the #6 and #14 system are essentially the same, the main visible differences being that a in a #6 system, the independent and automatic brake valve are separate (H-6 and S-6), while in the #14, they are combined into one casting (K-14).

The distributing valves are divided into two groups:

1) 6, 6-E, 6-EF, 6-EG, 6-ER, 14, 14-E, and 14-DE all have one ring and a packing cup on the application piston and use a slide valve type admission valve. WABCo obsoleted these a long time ago because the admission valve was prone to sudden catastrophic failure. By at least the 1970s/1980s, they would refuse to repair them; instead they would upgrade them to 6-Kn.

D = transfer valve attachment
E = modified for high speed passenger service
F = regenerative/dynamic brake interlock
G = provision for adding a regenerative/dynamic brake interlock

and

2) 6-K, 6-KE, 6-IKR, 6-DFKR, 14-KR, 14-DKR, and 14-DFKR all have dual rings on the application piston and poppet type admission valves (the K being an identifier for these).

D = transfer valve attachment
F = suspension lugs on top of the reservoir
I = regenerative/dynamic braking interlock
R = WABCotite fittings on the combined reservoir instead of threaded ones

The current version of the #6 system is the 26-NL system, which uses a 6-N distributing valve (diaphragms and spool valves) with a 26-C automatic and an SA-26 independent.

One more note on operation: the Release/Running and Holding positions have been operationally obsolete since at least 1950. There are provisions inside the automatic brake valves for disabling them, and by the 1970s many RRs still using the #6/#14 system had modified the valves to disable these positions.

I could not get PABCO to answer the phone or emails, much less get parts or help from them. This was over the course of months.

Multi-Service Supply was very helpful with parts and advice, on a 14EL system.

I think Strasburg can repair and test 6/14 distributing valves and S-6/H-6 type engineer's valves. I'm not sure if they have a rack for K-14 combined engineer's valves.

#14 and #6 distributing valves are essentially the same. The former are designed for double-ended equipment and the porting is adjusted to account for the larger pipe volumes. In many museum and tourist railway type applications, the difference between them will not be noticeable.