# Brake Wheel on Diesels?



## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

I happened to be stopped by a long UP freight train today and as the locos passed I noticed that one of them had a large wheel (brake wheel?) on the side toward the rear. 

I have no idea what type of loco it was (all diesels look and sound pretty much the same to me) but it left me curious as to what the wheel is for and why it is in such a seemingly unlikely location.

I'm sure someone knows...

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

It is for the brakes (outside of the cab, manual for parking/tie down). Some have wheels, others levers.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

A large spindly-spoked wheel is probably the brake wheel. But some have what I would call a "pump handle" type of brake manual setting device.


Now a question for you. You mentioned U.P. and I seem to remember sometime in the past you indicated you are in Iowa (same as me) but I wasn't sure, so I tried to find your location by clicking your name in the area on the left and it took me to the first page of the list of ALL MLS users, instead of what I thought would be your "info" page. So I then tried to find you by searching through the bazillion of entries in the list, first by clicking the "J" at the top of the page and then stepping through the list from there and on page 11 (when starting at the "J" beginning) is where I expected to find you... but you ain't there! Hmmm... So I attempted to see if I could find you by doing a "Send Message" (I wasn't going to actually send one, I was just thinking it might display your info page somehow) and I get a dialog box that allows me to send a message with a "Subject Line:" and a "Text Area:", but the "To:" text box is empty, so I have no idea how one would even try to send you a message.

Not that you have to reveal your location at all, I was just curious, and not that anyone needs to send you a Private Message (which some folk have deliberately disabled due to some problems with that feature of the forum software), but...


How'd you post, if you are not in the list of Members???? (Not that you might know [or not] the answer to that question).







(Or even care.)


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 30 Aug 2010 05:50 PM 
Not that you have to reveal your location at all, I was just curious, and not that anyone needs to send you a Private Message (which some folk have deliberately disabled due to some problems with that feature of the forum software), but...


How'd you post, if you are not in the list of Members???? (Not that you might know [or not] the answer to that question).







(Or even care.)












It sounds to me like a glitch in the MLS software as I have not disabled private messages. 

Most of your questions would probably be answered with the same reasons you use an alias rather than to list your name. I formerly used my name but when there were a lot of questions about what I owned I decided it was time to become a little less public with my personal information. I sent you a private email with my name and email address so if you get it you will recognize me (I am not making any attempt to hide who I am - just not advertising it). 

Actually I am not in Iowa but rather I am in Arkansas (that should ring a bell). Arkansas is a small (population wise) state so I decided not to include my location in my profile - just as many others.

I believe that MLS changed something in that it used to be easier to send emails. I looked myself up in the member list and had no problem with bringing up the email format.

Rather than objecting to private emails I would encourage them in that emails allow for more personal conversations that can be a lot less contentious than some public discussions.

Regards,

Jerry


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Jerrys RR on 30 Aug 2010 06:16 PM 
Posted By Semper Vaporo on 30 Aug 2010 05:50 PM 
Not that you have to reveal your location at all, I was just curious, and not that anyone needs to send you a Private Message (which some folk have deliberately disabled due to some problems with that feature of the forum software), but...


How'd you post, if you are not in the list of Members???? (Not that you might know [or not] the answer to that question).







(Or even care.)












It sounds to me like a glitch in the MLS software as I have not disabled private messages. 

Most of your questions would probably be answered with the same reasons you use an alias rather than to list your name. I formerly used my name but when there were a lot of questions about what I owned I decided it was time to become a little less public with my personal information. I sent you a private email with my name and email address so if you get it you will recognize me (I am not making any attempt to hide who I am - just not advertising it). 

Actually I am not in Iowa but rather I am in Arkansas (that should ring a bell). Arkansas is a small (population wise) state so I decided not to include my location in my profile - just as many others.

I believe that MLS changed something in that it used to be easier to send emails. I looked myself up in the member list and had no problem with bringing up the email format.

Rather than objecting to private emails I would encourage them in that emails allow for more personal conversations that can be a lot less contentious than some public discussions.

Regards,

Jerry


Yeah, I hide behind my pseudonym, but I do it because I am an unfriendly, crotchety ol' grouch (to quote some recent missives) who doesn't like being called by some of the nicknames usually associated with my 1st name and, anyway, I believe in a more formal method of addressing folk I have never met face-to-face, and some folk naturally assume that those nicknames are terms of endearment and thus use them and inadvertantly insult me (and I was not insulted by the aforementioned quote







!). No problem anyway, I remember who you are now and it all makes sense (well... close enough anyway).


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Set the parking brake before dismounting, there is no P notch. 
Back along the side cowl is pretty handy and can be applied while in motion. 

John


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Diesels are well known to wander when not properly braked (broken?) 

Later, 

K


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By East Broad Top on 30 Aug 2010 07:51 PM 
Diesels are well known to wander when not properly braked (broken?) 

Later, 

K 

Just one more instance of the superiority of steam locos - you always know when there is a fire in the belly of the beast.









A diesel, dead or alive, they all look the same. Come to think of it, I've never heard of anyone putting a diesel up on rollers to "watch the action."









Jerry


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Jerrys RR on 31 Aug 2010 06:38 AM 
Posted By East Broad Top on 30 Aug 2010 07:51 PM 
Diesels are well known to wander when not properly braked (broken?) 

Later, 

K 

Just one more instance of the superiority of steam locos - you always know when there is a fire in the belly of the beast.









A diesel, dead or alive, they all look the same. Come to think of it, I've never heard of anyone putting a diesel up on rollers to "watch the action."









Jerry



*PREACH IT, BROTHER! 
AMEN! and AMEN! 

HALLELUJAH!










*


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Over the years locomotive manufactures have change styles of what the brake wheel/handle looks like and on/where they are located can be either end of the loco depending on the manufacture. Pump handle/round wheel. Later RJD


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

Steamers are nice but they certainly take a lot of maintenance & fuel. The 2-8-2 on the Skunk Train burns about 400 gallons of fuel per day. The diesel takes less than 100 gallons to do the same job. On the diesel, you don't have to grease it all of the time or put $100/gal. steam oil in it either. I have to admit that it is pretty though. It also makes neat sounds pulling 7 cars up the hill into town.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Bill Swindell on 31 Aug 2010 10:53 PM 
Steamers are nice but they certainly take a lot of maintenance & fuel. The 2-8-2 on the Skunk Train burns about 400 gallons of fuel per day. The diesel takes less than 100 gallons to do the same job. On the diesel, you don't have to grease it all of the time or put $100/gal. steam oil in it either. I have to admit that it is pretty though. It also makes neat sounds pulling 7 cars up the hill into town. 
WOW! You mean I got $500 worth of Chevron ISO 460 Steam Cylinder Oil down in the dungeon in that 5 gallon pail I bought for $30.00???? WOW!


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By Bill Swindell on 31 Aug 2010 10:53 PM 
Steamers are nice but they certainly take a lot of maintenance & fuel. The 2-8-2 on the Skunk Train burns about 400 gallons of fuel per day. The diesel takes less than 100 gallons to do the same job. On the diesel, you don't have to grease it all of the time or put $100/gal. steam oil in it either. I have to admit that it is pretty though. It also makes neat sounds pulling 7 cars up the hill into town. 

I'd be among the first to agree that the conversion from steam to diesel was logical and unavoidable. I also would not want to be on the crew of a steamer - or the maintenance crew.

I seem to recall that UP went from over 4,000 employees at the Cheyenne shops during steam days to under 400 now.

Even as a passenger the steam locos put out a lot of soot which could be messy.

Still, as a tourist and as an observer, the steam locos simply had an attraction that nothing else comes close to (for me). 

Somehow the idea of a giant tea kettle (Big Boy) hauling a 5 mile train with nothing but steam power overwhelms the idea of diesel electric locos or jet airplanes with virtually no visible means of support. Perhaps it is as simple as push-pull power vs rotary power.

Jerry


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## pk (Jul 6, 2008)

The ratchet handle or brake wheel is a specified option. Back in the day, Seaboard Air Line (SAL) ordered their diesel locomotives without handbrakes. A piece of chain or blocks were used to secure the locomotive. Today, if you happen to be ordering locomotives, you can specify whether you want a ratchet handle or a brake wheel for the hand brake on a locomotive. In Norfolk Southern's (NS) case you can even specify electronic handbrakes. While you are at it, you will also specify the location of the hand brake. Up front on the nose, back on the long hood or in the case of some older switchers, they were located inside the cab. Railroads were also known to relocate hand brakes, from one side to the other or front to back, when they rebuilt locomotives. 
pk


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

By the way, do any steamers have hand brakes. I have worked on 2 Alco's and one Baldwin. None of them had hand brakes of any kind.


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

Bill, yeah, they had "hand" brakes. You threw a chain around a wheel, by hand. The tender could have conventional hand brakes.


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## baron67 (Jan 5, 2008)

We have a mount for a hand brake on the engineer's side on the front apron of our tender. It has been removed but the hole and surrounding ratchet wheel is still there. We have an old coal tender that is out of service but still has a functioning wheel on the engineer's side, mounted on the inside of the coal pocket at the front of the water tank. 

Jerry Barnes 
Fireman, 2248 
Grapevine Vintage RR, Texas


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

The steamer that I ran last Friday used the chain around the wheel for a parking brake too.


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