Hello (again!) Another question... (I realize that I'm in train since 20 years and there still some little question that bugged me.... ) On each car, a mark is printed near the end: "2 inchs comp shoe". I suppose this refere to brake shoe, but what is the purpose of this info? Yvan-Martin
The purpose of this stencil is to tell carmen what kind of shoe to replace for the particular car. Since different kinds of cars have different braking characteristics due to weight and the like, they require a different size of shoe so they dont get used up too quickly. Lets say the railroad has a 100-ton car. They will put those 2, maybe even 2.5" comp shoes on so they will last longer because of the added force needed to slow the car. So then on a car with half that capacity, they would put maybe a 1.5 to 2" comp shoe because it needs less force. Put that smaller shoe on that 100-ton car, and it could burn up a lot faster then the "beefier" brake shoe. Before the "composition" shoes, they had cast-iron brake shoes, which were a lot more effective in slowing the train, but at high speeds they tended to slide the wheels flat. The comps were supposed to be just as good as the cast-irons at high speeds, but couldnt stop as good at slower speeds like the cast-iron brake shoes could. Theres a good article about this "fallacy" in the July (?) 2001 TRAINS magazine. Hope that helped you. Dave
I'll take a stab at this one. The 2" is the width of the shoe. Comp is the material of the shoe. I think it is a carry over from the days that they ran sindered (SP) iron shoes also. You don't want to mix the two types on the same car. <blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Yvan-Martin Levesque: Hello (again!) On each car, a mark is printed near the end: "2 inchs comp shoe". I suppose this refere to brake shoe, but what is the purpose of this info? Yvan-Martin<hr></blockquote>
I think both reply were very well done! The only comment I wish to leave is that its great to see how well our members explain things for those of us whom just don't know. I consider my self some what knowledgeable about trains and a fare modeler. ( But not a good speller ) But even I learned soothing here!
Thanks a lot guys for the (terrific) answers! Phantom, I'm model train from over 20 yerars, and I agree 200% with you!! Learning is a day-to-day duty!! I try to publish all this infos on my website. If you want to look at it, go to: trainweb.com/montreal/g-scale get into the yard. Then go to Railfan section. Lot of pictures. My English sometime looks like Chineese , but some friends at the job will help me get this fix during the next winter. (PS: Any comments to improve this 100 woo woo woo website are welcomed!) Yvan-Martin
Another question on the subject... What does mean the letters HF (as in HF comp shoe)... If you want to see piecture of what I mean, go at my site (www.trainweb.com/montreal/g-scale) in the railfan section, then in Marks on the car section. Look in the page for a zoomable picture of the stencil. YM, the-little-guy-who-wanted-to-know
It means that the car is equipped with High Friction Composition (not cast iron) brake shoes. Chris Toth
