Standard Stock E.P Brakes

Many of the Standard Stock cars were fitted with EP brakes by 1935. 20 UCC 1929 cars did not have EP brakes because they operated with the 40 trailers/CT of Cammell Laird 1920 stock which only had Westinghouse Brakes.

I don't think any of the pre-1938 stock came with EP brakes, but I'm sure the Piccadilly Line stock (1927,28, 29, 31-34ts) were fitted with it first!

The Northern also took some of the Piccadilly Line's 1927 stock too. The Northern was then left with the 1923/24/25/26/27 stock, which ultimately went to the Central.

TTUL says that the 1931/34 cars were designed from the start for EP brakes and were thus so fitted. Older cars for the Pic were converted, this conversion included heaters, EP brakes and weak field control. The rest of the fleet gained this upon the modernisation programme.

As an aside there was a scheme to fit the Cammal Laird cars with EP brakes and transfer them to the Northern City. Both, though, were cancelled.

Thanks All for the replies. Did the Feltham stock go through the modernisation plan and was the train number moved from under the M door window to the inside of the offside window.
Darren.

Indeed! In pictures of them they seem to be fairly wide near the solebar. I wonder if that was the reason (something akin to C stock at HOTH siding)?

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Yes. The only way we could tell was that the audible warning was cut out and the cover was usually lying somewhere on the cab floor.

Excellent work Darren. One point: The train line needle on the duplex gauge will not change when the e.p. brake is used. You won't see any change in either needle during normal service braking.

Also, the normal braking procedure is to leave the brake applied a little while the train is stationary. Then the brake is released to allow the train to start.

The train line (black) and main line (red) needles do not move normally during braking since the train line isn't used and there is enough air in the main reservoir and brake reservoirs not to affect it. LU cabs do not have brake cylinder gauges in them like main line cabs. Brake cylinder gauges on LU stock are inside the saloon so the driver has no idea what the B/cyl pressure is. He doesn't need to unless something goes wrong.

If you want to get the e.p. brake right for Standard Stock, you have to remember that it has the A Type brake controller. The one you have is working like the self-lapping D Type controller. The A Type controller has a holding position between release and application. To brake, you go from release to application then back to holding. If you leave it in application (as it appears on your simulation) the train will over brake and stop short.

I don't know if it is possible to modify your programme but it's so good anyway no one but a ex- driver nut like me would notice.

You are most welcome

It was all or nothing in each position: Release, Holding, Application, etc. The time you held it in Application gave the brake level required and you then moved it back to Holding. You would release a little by going to Release and back to Holding. If you left it in application you would get a full service brake and the retarders would take over control. This would tend to waste air, particularly at lower speeds.

Drivers were taught to approach the station at speed and to apply full e.p. at first and then ease off the brake in steps until just before the stop, when you release. Some learned that, with practice, you could stop on one application and one release. Defensive driving was not on the agenda in those days. It was considered wasteful of capacity, which is now being seen today.

One other point to remember; everything has a lag time. From release to full e.p. was about 2.5s.

This behaviour is almost exactly the same as on first generation DMU vacuum brakes, so if one of your sim colleagues has done a DMU properly (most of them don't........) he should be able to help you a long way.