Brake Wheel Location

Except for a very few special use cars, there is no front or rear on a freight car. The railroads designate the ends as A and B. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the brakewheel denotes the B end. In use, the cars get turned around and may have either end of the car facing the rear.

fl@liner

Here in New Zealand, there are no routes which reverse the orientation of rolling stock so all non-powered vehicles had their brake levers/wheels at one end. The US standard gauge has numerous routes where orientation is reversed, so over time the orientation should end up 50/50. Rolling stock probably came out of the building works with a constant orientation and if used for a specific and limited operation might never have been reversed. Perhaps ore wagons would fall into that category. Wagons used with end tipplers or in-train rotating tipplers might qualify.

Regards, Greg.P.

I was thinking maybe there was a standard for safety reasons (e.g. no searching for which end has the brake wheel.)

Spender spake thus:

That's what I'd think, too; I mean, the brakeman hops off to set a switch, the train starts to roll away, and the brakeman runs furiously after it: you'd think they'd want to have that brakewheel facing the back of the train ...

Anyone know for sure? Like someone who actually works/ has worked on (real) trains?

Except that argument falls apart when the car is moved into a siding on a backing move. Then the brakewheel would be furthest from the brakeman. Then there is always the question of where the engineer has gotten off to as his train rolls away without him.

fl@liner

Then it would be facing the wrong way for any move in the other direction...

Speaking *ONLY* for the railway I work for, there is no standard. Based on what I know of North American operating practices, I'm 99% certain there is no standard in the US, either. If for no other reason, how would you ensure that all cars faced the same way?

As was stated in a reply to this question, freight cars had an 'A' and a 'B' end with the 'B' designating the brake end. In use, the 'B' ends were coupled together, so the brakeman could brake both cars with only having to climb one ladder...

-roger-

How could that be achieved when trains were being switched, broken up and freshly marshalled with great frequency?

My thoughts exactly.

Do you have any evidence to suport that contention? I ask, because I can envisage how difficult it would be to do in practice.

Cheers,

Mark.