Master controller and brakes

Question 1

What are the 5 master controller positions on a Comeng?

Answer 1

0 coast
1 shunt
2 series
3 parallel
4 weak fields

Question 2

In which reverser positions is the pilot valve locked?

Answer 2

Neutral and off

Question 3

After how long do the spring park brakes apply if the train is in neutral?

Answer 3

60 seconds

Question 4

How do you back off power in a Comeng?

Answer 4

Go back into coast and then put master controller to the right speed position
(can’t go from 4 to 3, has to be 4>0>3)

Question 5

What are the brake controller positions in a Comeng?

What pressure is each one?

Answer 5

Run and release
1 75kpa
2 75kpa
3 110kpa
4 145kpa
5 180kpa
6 215kpa
7 (full service) 250kpa
Emergency 275kpa

Question 6

Where is the air supply for the spring park brake?

Answer 6

Main reservoir

Question 7

What are the three ways you can apply the spring park brake?

Answer 7

1. Manually by pressing the button (train line or local in van area)

Automatically applied
2. In the OFF reverser position
3. After 60 seconds in neutral

Question 8

How long after raising the pantos until you can use the train line spring park brake buttons?

Answer 8

60 seconds
Red button will illuminate

Question 9

Which wheels are the spring park brakes fitted to?

Answer 9

1,3,5,7

Question 10

How do you manually release the spring park brakes in a Westcode?

Answer 10

6-8 anticlockwise turns with the socket and brace

Question 11

How do you manually release the spring park brakes in a Knorr?

Answer 11

One anticlockwise turn of the knob thing, by hand

Question 12

How do you manually apply the spring park brakes in a Westcode and a Knorr?

Answer 12

Can’t do it manually in a Knorr

Westcode - first isolate the bogie to avoid damaging mechanism
Then 40-60 clockwise turns with the socket and brace

Question 13

At what speed does the Rheostatic brake start working?

Answer 13

10km/h

Question 14

What is the air supply for the Electropneumatic (EP) brake?

Answer 14

Main reservoir

Question 15

What is the air supply for the Emergency and Air brakes?

Answer 15

Brake pipe (via auxiliary reservoir)

Question 16

If you are doing an air brake test and find the air brakes do not work, what do you do?

Answer 16

Critical fault - call train control and take the train out of service

Question 17

What pressure should the brake pipe be at when in full service air brake?

Answer 17

380-410kPa

Question 18

What pressure should be in the brake cylinder for a smooth stop on the air?

Answer 18

110-120kPa

Question 19

Which type of Comeng has wheel slip protection still active when air braking?

Answer 19

Knorr

Westcode does not have wheel slip protection when running on the air

Question 20

What is the holding pressure for each Comeng type?

Answer 20

Westcode 35kPa
Knorr 0kPa (none)

Question 21

At what speeds is each type of brake active?

Answer 21

Rheo 5-115km/h
Blended 5-10km/h
EP <5km/h

Question 22

When your brake is in step 7, how many amps should there be on the ammeter?

How many for it to be faulty?

Answer 22

Should be around 200A

160A or less is a faulty rheo and needs isolating