When charging the brake system on a train, what air brake components are being charged?

When charging the brake system on a train, what air brake components are being charged?

• A. Brake pipe only
• B. Brake pipe, auxiliary reservoirs, and emergency reservoirs
• C. Auxiliary reservoirs only
• D. Emergency reservoirs only

Answer: (B)

Charging the brake system means bringing pressurized air into all of the stores that the system uses to operate brakes. That includes the brake pipe (the control line that tells the system what to do), the auxiliary reservoirs (the main air source that actually feeds the brake cylinders during normal braking), and the emergency reservoirs (a separate supply that ensures an emergency brake can be applied even if the brake pipe is compromised). With all three charged, the system can perform normal braking by reducing brake pipe pressure to release air from the brake cylinders from the auxiliary reservoirs, and it can still deliver a full emergency brake if needed thanks to the emergency reservoirs. If any of these parts weren’t charged, you wouldn’t have the necessary air supply for either regular operation or an emergency stop.

Charging the brake system means bringing pressurized air into all of the stores that the system uses to operate brakes. That includes the brake pipe (the control line that tells the system what to do), the auxiliary reservoirs (the main air source that actually feeds the brake cylinders during normal braking), and the emergency reservoirs (a separate supply that ensures an emergency brake can be applied even if the brake pipe is compromised).

With all three charged, the system can perform normal braking by reducing brake pipe pressure to release air from the brake cylinders from the auxiliary reservoirs, and it can still deliver a full emergency brake if needed thanks to the emergency reservoirs. If any of these parts weren’t charged, you wouldn’t have the necessary air supply for either regular operation or an emergency stop.