<<<< CP is standing behind the fact that they followed the rules.>>>>
There is no rule in ANY railway rule book anywhere in the world that substitute’s applying brake retainers
in lieu of hand brakes.
Why you ask?
Because air brakes on railway equipment require pressurized air to make them work.
All rail cars leak the air pumped into them,,, and leak at a faster rate ,, the colder it gets,, just a fact.
Leave just one fully charged car on a 2.2 % grade with an emergency application of the air brakes
and apply just a brake retainer on that car ,, sooner or later the air leaks off and the car rolls away
just like the Field train did. The colder the temperatures the faster the air leaking off.
When will the car roll away?? Totally unpredictable,, but CERTAIN.. if extremely cold ?? Sooner.
If the car had had a “properly applied “ hand brake ( car bled off ,, of any air that might be on it) and applied.
It would remain there indefinitely because human muscle power shoves the brake shoes against all
the wheels on the car,, mechanically locked in place,, until released in the future… a lot of physical work if you
have to do 40 or 60 of them.
Railway management don’t want them applied,, because so time consuming,,and so a bamboozle out ..
instruct to apply brake retainers,, crews in this circumstance accept the bamboozle due to management
intimidation over the years and the management “” railway culture “” of short cut, bend the rules, intimidate
and look the other way.
If the family’s stay with this lawsuit they will win. |
