The BRAKE lever

[amtrakmichigan]

The lever found overhead mounted in a corner of a passenger car that is marked with a red decal and white lettering that states "Brake....for emergency use only",what Exactly does this do when pulled? Obviously someone wouldn't want to pull it just to find out. But activating this emergency device does it automatically send the train into emergency braking on the spot or does it just simply send a signal to the engineer to stop the train? Always wondered about this.

 

[Viewliner]

It sends the train into emergency. I remember my grandmother telling me once years ago when she took the Auto Train that someone apparantly reaching for the window shade pulled the emergency brake and sent the train into emergency.

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

It sends the train into emergency. I remember my grandmother telling me once years ago when she took the Auto Train that someone apparantly reaching for the window shade pulled the emergency brake and sent the train into emergency.

I have never seen a brake lever near a window shade before within any car (Superliner or Single level). If there is such a location for a window shade (near brake lever), then where and what cars is this the case? Anyway, that is correct, the train will go into emergency, and if the train is in the wrong place at the time, that may not be pretty! As far as I know, they are only to be used by the operating (T&E) crew employees only.

 

[AlanB]

Pulling that cord opens a valve on the train's air line that controls the train’s brakes. Once you open that valve air immediately drains out of the pipes & hoses forcing all the brakes on the train to clamp down immediately.

This is not a smooth controlled braking, like the engineer would normally do when stopping the train. This is like you stomping as hard as possible on the brake peddle in your car and not letting up at all until you've stopped moving.

So it can be a rough ride if you moving rather fast and someone standing up may well find them selves lying on the floor.

The cords should never be pulled by anyone, crew or passenger, except in an emergency situation. Examples would be things like a fire, a passenger caught in the door and being dragged down the station platform, or similar major league emergency.

However certain types of emergencies don't qualify as a reason to pull the cord. Things like a passenger having a heart attack, while very serious is not a reason to pull the cord. In fact pulling the cord could actually delay getting medical help to the victim.

Pulling the cord when an emergency does not exist is a Federal violation, punishable with jail time, 6 months I think.

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

So it can be a rough ride if you moving rather fast and someone standing up may well find themselves laying on the floor.
The cords should never be pulled by anyone, crew or passenger, except in an emergency situation. Examples would be things like a fire, a passenger caught in the door and being dragged down the station platform, or similar major league emergency.

Pulling the cord when an emergency does not exist is a Federal violation, punishable with jail time, 6 months I think.

A rough ride indeed, and if the train is in the wrong place (especially at high speed and a curve), it can mean derailment!

That is why passengers have no reason whatsoever in my opinion to pull that lever regardless of the emergency unless absolutely no conductor is around! And only if it were a real life threatening emergency such as someone caught in the door and being dragged down the platform, etc. It is best to let the ones who are responsible (T&E employees) make such decisions. Let Amtrak be responsible for losses, etc. A passenger pulling the cord could wind up in a lawsuit even if a real emergency existed (in this sue-happy world we live in)! You never know these days!

And yes, the punishments are a fine (which I am not sure of exactly) and jail time of about 6-12 months if convicted of pulling the brake cord when no such emergency exists which is indeed a federal offense!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Not to turn a very serious item into a facetious one, but years ago there was an "I Love Lucy" episode in which Lucy pulled the emergency cord. End result is that Fred and Ethel Mertz, who were in the diner, came walking back with food dripping from their faces.

But the Union Pacific Railroad got some free publicity out of that episode. When Ricky called to make reservations, he said something like "Now this is for a Domeliner isn't it?". A "domeliner" was UP's Advertising / Marketing Department's fancy talk for a streamliner with domes.It should be pointed out that at one time UP was a very pro-passenger operator of magnificent streamlined trains. Not like the much expanded railroad today which causes us so much grief about punctuality.

While of course the on board scenes were stage props, I do remember a genuine night time scene of UP's City of Los Angeles, zipping along through the night out of view. And I do remember UP was in the credits.

This train trip was from Los Angeles to NYC(Via CHI) and I actually sort of think it portrayed the show's actual production moving from LA to NY. I think in the comedy's plot they lived in LA and then moved to NY (both in the plot and for real film making.

 

[Chatter163]

Mr. Haithcoat, you are correct identifying UP from the Lucy episode, along with Ricky's reference to the Domeliners. I have always used the image of Fred and Ethel (and Ricky, too, in one scene) being covered in food as a fairly realistic example of what one would experience if one were in a dining car when an emergency brake were pulled.

However, as a bonafide Lucy fan, I must point out that there was no mention of Chicago in their itinerary, nor of switching trains anywhere. In fact, they referred to "riding all the way to New York" from Los Angeles on the one train.

Similarly, I Love Lucy was always filmed in Hollywood, throughout its run. Though most of the show was set in New York, it was never produced there. The show was always filmed in Hollywood; indeed, it was one of the first television shows to be done from the West Coast.

 

[battalion51]

fact, they referred to "riding all the way to New York" from Los Angeles on the one train.

Maybe shades of the thought of National Ltd to come?

 

[Chatter163]

It sends the train into emergency. I remember my grandmother telling me once years ago when she took the Auto Train that someone apparantly reaching for the window shade pulled the emergency brake and sent the train into emergency.

Urban legend....

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Mr. Haithcoat, you are correct identifying UP from the Lucy episode, along with Ricky's reference to the Domeliners.  I have always used the image of Fred and Ethel (and Ricky, too, in one scene) being covered in food as a fairly realistic example of what one would experience if one were in a dining car when an emergency brake were pulled.  
However, as a bonafide Lucy fan, I must point out that there was no mention of Chicago in their itinerary, nor of switching trains anywhere.  In fact, they referred to "riding all the way to New York" from Los Angeles on the one train.

Similarly, I Love Lucy was always filmed in Hollywood, throughout its run.  Though most of the show was set in New York, it was never produced there.  The show was always filmed in Hollywood; indeed, it was one of the first television shows to be done from the West Coast.  

No problem, Chatter 163. As one who watched the "I Love Lucy" programs when they were new(perhaps you did as well?) , I did not remember any reference to CHI either. I was just interpolating it as a clarification of what the actual train route would have been.

Actually, at times one really COULD ride all the way from LA to NYC without changing cars by using through sleepers, and this did, indeed, include the City of Los Angeles and others (not to mention the National Limited,as Battallion said, later, under Amtrak).

Guess all the rest of that about changing locations of the show was my imagination.

Anyway , pleasant memories, glad you remember that scene as vividly as I do.

Too bad they could not have squeezed in some live footage of the dome diner on the CIty of LA, one of my favorite pieces of equipment of all time. Of course we would not have wanted to see it slammed into emergency.

 

[Amfleet]

Actually, at times one really COULD ride all the way from LA to NYC without changing cars by using through sleepers, and this did, indeed, include the City of Los Angeles and others (not to mention the National Limited,as Battallion said, later, under Amtrak).

While it isn't New York, don't forget that several years ago one could book a through sleeper from Washington to Los Angeles via Chicago on the Capitol Limited and Southwest Chief. You were evev allowed to stay on the train while it was being serviced in Chicago.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Yes, indeed. One could also go from Washington(and at times, NYC and at times, during the years, even Boston) to LA via the Crescent and the Sunset using your sleeper as a hotel in New Orleans. Man, I wish I had done that when it was available. It came right through Atlanta.....I should have done it.....

There were also through sleepers from NYC and Washington to Texas points.(pre-Amtrak)

One of the oddest long distance runs I recall (pre-Amtrak) was a slumbercoach which went from Baltimore to San Antonio, transferring between the old B&O National Limited at St. Louis to the then-called Texas Eagle.

Quite a few transcons through the years. of course the ones from NYC to SF and LA were the best known. There were considered transcontinental in railroad usage (well, the ones to California,not the ones to Texas).

Amtrak was the first to have an through complete train,a first,(a TRUE transcontinental) when it extended the Sunset back east all the way to Miami. Wish I had ridden THAT also!!!! I understand poor timekeeping sabotaged that. Imagine!!

Amtrak was the first to put together a solid through train from Portland to Seattle to SF to LA and, at first, even San Diego. Prior to that, each of those were considered separate runs. Yes, the Coast Starlight at first went all the way to San Diego. Again, poor timekeeping southbound saw the end of that. But even terminating in LA , it was more of a through train than the private railroads before that had done.