Bang bang go the brakes!

[railsquid]

I had occasion to pass through Tachikawa today and this freighty-looking locomotive happened to pass going through the other direction:

eh-200-tachikawa by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I was alarmed to hear a series of loud banging noises as if the train had derailed, which is especially alarming as the tanks were labelled "for gasoline use only". However I presume the noise was the brakes being applied and released, as there was no spectacular explosion and fireball which would have made excellent footage on the evening news?

[katoftw]

Sometimes when the tyre on the wheel gets a flat spot, it will make a repeated band noise as is rotates.  The faster they go, the louder it gets.  Which isn't normal for Japanese maintenence standards.

 

Did you hear the noise at speed or at a crawl?

Edited June 9, 2016 by katoftw

[stevenh]

Track detonators? No trackwork in the area?

[railsquid]

No, just the train coming in to halt at the platform while waiting to proceed. I didn't have time to observe any further, but it did seem consistent with the brakes being applied.

[Jace]

Could have been coupler slack running in and out. The slack could have run in when the brakes were set, especially if only the engine was braking and then run out when released. 

[katoftw]

I think Jace is the winner.

[beakaboy]

I had occasion to pass through Tachikawa today and this freighty-looking locomotive happened to pass going through the other direction:

eh-200-tachikawa by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I was alarmed to hear a series of loud banging noises as if the train had derailed, which is especially alarming as the tanks were labelled "for gasoline use only". However I presume the noise was the brakes being applied and released, as there was no spectacular explosion and fireball which would have made excellent footage on the evening news?

 

Char-grilled Squid!!

[railsquid]

Could have been coupler slack running in and out. The slack could have run in when the brakes were set, especially if only the engine was braking and then run out when released. 

 

 

I think Jace is the winner.

 

That makes sense. As the train was coming from the west I suspect it might have been empty, which might have made it a bit noisier.

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, a tanker train from the west would likely be empty, all that weight but with no load, would probably run the slack in and out with braking action.

[utrainia]

Sure sounds like coupler slack action. I remember standing at a platform in NZ (Otira) when the brakes were eased off on a loaded coal train. The station is on a reasonable slope so the effect was incredible, it sounded like 30 gun shots being fired in rapid succession getting closer and closer. Hell of a noise!

 

Sent from my One X using Tapatalk

[miyakoji]

Here's a short video of slack take-up on US railroad

 

[Mudkip Orange]

I used to be in a high-rise 1/2 mile from a classification yard.

 

You learn to fall asleep to this noise.