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line is preventing dumping the air pressure and causing all of the brakes in the train going into an emergency application. Such a situation could be dangerous, as stopping distance increases with fewer functioning brakes. Dumping the brake line pressure from both the front and rear of the train simultaneously ensures that the entire train applies all of its brakes in emergency. Other electronics within the ETD were also enhanced, and many now include
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release on the rear car (to ensure that all of the brake hoses are connected and the angle cocks, or valves, are opened). In most cases, the engineer is able to use information from the ETD to verify that the air pressure reduces and increases at the rear of the train accordingly, indicating proper brake pipe continuity. This device is said to constitute a
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send brake pressure data to a receiver in the locomotive. To reduce the cost of battery replacements, ambient light sensors were added so the flashing light on the ETD would illuminate only during dusk and after dark. Later models have a small turbine-powered electrical generator using air pressure from the brake line to power the ETD's radio and sensors.
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There are some cases where a last vehicle indication is not required — for instance, when the number of coaches or wagons in a train can be passed on to each block section after verification from the previous block section at the time the line clear indication is obtained (and with exchange of
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began using ETDs as well. By the mid-1980s they were common equipment. Early models were little more than a brake line connection / termination, a battery and flashing tail light. As their use became more widespread through the 1980s, ETDs were equipped with radio telemetry transmitters to
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The one-way communication of brake data from the ETD to the locomotive evolved into two-way communication that enables the engineer to apply the brakes from both ends of the train simultaneously in an emergency. This is useful in the event that a blockage (or an unopened valve) in the train's brake
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A typical HTD contains several lights indicating telemetry status and rear end movement, along with a digital readout of the brake line pressure from the ETD. It also contains a toggle switch used to initiate an emergency brake application from the rear end. In modern locomotives, the HTD is built
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Railroads have strict government-approved air brake testing procedures for various circumstances when assembling trains or switching out cars en route. After a cut is made between cars in a train and the train is rejoined, in addition to other tests, the crew must verify that the brakes apply and
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were also greatly affected by ETD, as this electronic unit replaced two crewmen per train. The widespread use of ETDs has made the caboose nearly obsolete. Some roads still use cabooses where the train must be backed up, on short local runs, as rolling offices, or
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The last vehicle of a train is supposed to carry a red lamp at the rear. Earlier, the requirement was for merely an oil lamp, which was often missing or very feeble. In recent years provision of an electric lamp, as mandated by the rules, has become more common.
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rakes have a smaller painted 'X' (red on white) at the rear, or sometimes a series of diagonal strokes painted on; these painted symbols are all in addition to the lamp mentioned above. In addition, a small board with the letters
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Last vehicle indications are of different types. A large 'X' is often seen painted on the rear of the coach that is the last one. A set of concentric circles may also be seen, although this seems to be going out of use as of 2008.
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Introduced as long ago as the days of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway in the 1830s, tail lamps are an integral part of railway safety. This traditional lamp has been attached by the guard to the rear of the train for
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without the appropriate last vehicle indication (or without confirmation of the number of coaches or wagons), it is assumed that the train has separated and suitable emergency procedures are brought into play.
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208:. They originated in North America, and are also used elsewhere in the world, where they may include complete End of Train Air System (ETAS) or Sense and Brake Unit (SBU) devices.
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were the first to codify the requirement for a tail Lamp in their 1840 Rules and
Regulations that a red tail Lamp must be carried on each train. The purpose of this was for
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on the rear of the locomotive. It is easy to imagine that the danger represented by this was as significant as the risks it was trying to counter.
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private numbers). The information is also provided to the section controllers. In some cases when working entirely within one block section, an '
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maintenance crews. In some cases (see photo) instead of hitching a caboose, an employee stands on the last car when the train is backing up.
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link to the Head-of-Train Device (HTD) in the locomotive, known colloquially among railroaders as a "Wilma," after cartoon character
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The DPS ETD reduced labor costs, as well as the costs of the purchase and upkeep of cabooses. The
Brotherhood of Conductors and
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pressure and accidental separation of the train using a motion sensor, functions that were previously monitored by a crew in the
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A typical "Wilma", head-of-train (HOT) device (HTD), displaying the current brake line pressure on the rear end (top unit).
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must also display a red light at the rear, however this is usually achieved by a lamp or light built into the train.
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into the locomotive's computer system, and the information is displayed on the engineer's computer screen.
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555:' sign is not needed if the number of coaches or wagons is communicated by telephone to the next station.
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Such lamps were required to be carried by the rear coach of passenger trains and, for freight trains, the
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train going in reverse, to make sure the track is clear; something the ETD cannot currently do.
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End-of-train devices must be made to withstand all kinds of weather. This one, attached to a
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The earliest known method of showing the position of and completeness of a train was by the
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on the last car of the train, whereas "smart" devices monitor functions such as
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Lustig, David (August 2006). "End-of-train devices keep on evolving in back".
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Because there is no caboose, the employee must stand on the last car of this
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in the 1830s. These early references are to the use of a burning
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system to ensure that trains were complete when passing their
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British
Railways Rule Books - a brief history and comentarty
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A "dumb" ETD can be as simple as a red flag attached to the
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train, is still working even in the freezing winter cold.
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receivers as well as the two-way radio communications.
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692:"VICSIG - Infrastructure - Safeworking in Victoria"
517:Last vehicle sign at the back of an Indian train
192:) is an electronic device mounted on the end of
102:The examples and perspective in this article
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575:The Last Vehicle (LV) board is also used by
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466:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
486:Learn how and when to remove this message
140:Learn how and when to remove this message
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
605:. Vol. 66, no. 8. p. 18.
40:This article includes a list of general
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571:red lights of DMUs shows the back end.
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668:"Wongm's Rail Gallery - ETM devices"
636:McGonigal, Robert S. (May 1, 2006).
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464:adding citations to reliable sources
407:The first ETD use is attributed to
333:stations and as transportation for
46:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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411:in 1968, soon after which other
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326:Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen
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715:Horne, MAC (24 November 2019).
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172:), sometimes referred to as an
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409:Florida East Coast Railway
223:Broomhill railway station
227:Aviemore railway station
178:flashing rear-end device
538:If a train passes by a
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638:"End-of-Train Devices"
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377:An end of train device
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186:sense and braking unit
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18:Sense and Braking Unit
672:RailGallery.Wongm.com
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393:at the end of a long
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754:at Wikimedia Commons
460:improve this section
279:End of train devices
196:in replacement of a
122:create a new article
114:improve this article
104:may not represent a
752:End-of-train device
648:Kalmbach Publishing
166:end of train device
577:Sri Lanka Railways
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589:Train lights
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269:Locomotives
59:introducing
762:Categories
701:2010-05-27
696:VicSig.net
677:2010-05-27
653:2010-05-27
595:References
294:brake line
258:signal box
250:signallers
212:Tail lamps
202:locomotive
42:references
611:0041-0934
569:Sri Lanka
476:July 2024
447:does not
403:Evolution
318:fail-safe
302:telemetry
265:brake van
206:telemetry
158:container
130:June 2022
118:talk page
67:June 2010
583:See also
509:In India
503:LV board
112:You may
727:25 June
540:station
528:EMU/DMU
468:removed
453:sources
298:caboose
290:coupler
239:brazier
198:caboose
55:improve
643:Trains
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603:Trains
44:, but
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184:) or
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729:2022
607:ISSN
451:any
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271:and
244:The
182:FRED
164:The
567:In
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462:by
422:GPS
225:at
190:SBU
174:EOT
170:ETD
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