Tank car builder chooses NYAB DB-60 II with Brake Cylinder Maintaining

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
BCM Chart-2

New York Air Brake (NYAB) shipped its first DB-60 II air brake control valves equipped with its new Brake Cylinder Maintaining (BCM™) feature on Feb. 23, 2015. The valves will be installed in new CPC-1232-spec tank cars designed to carry Bakken crude oil, and scheduled to enter service in April. The railcar manufacturer was not disclosed.

BCM Chart-2Recently approved by the AAR, the BCM™ replenishes brake cylinder pressure when a leak occurs. “An improved margin of safety is the biggest factor in choosing the DB-60 II control valve,” says Jason Connell, Senior Vice President Sales / Marketing and Service, New York Air Brake LLC. “As long as trains continue to be a principal means of crude oil transport, train safety will remain a major concern of oil producers, railroads, and railcar owners, as well as the communities through which they travel. Stakeholders continue to be interested in any technology or technique that improves railroad safety, notably with respect to tank car movements. We are especially pleased that BCM™ is available at a very reasonable cost to railroads and railcar owners.”

NYAB reports it designed and built the “new, safer” DB-60 II air brake control valve with the capability to maintain up to 85% of brake cylinder pressure in the event of a leak. “All air brakes leak to some extent—the allowable standard is 1 PSI per minute—and they are likely to leak more when worn or in very cold weather,” says Product Line Manager for Freight Control Valves Parrish Lewis. “Even a small leak can hurt performance. The DB-60 II’s BCM feature enables a constant recharge of the brake cylinder during braking. This improves safety and ensures even brake cylinder pressure along the entire train, enabling the cars in the train to brake evenly and effectively.”

NYAB describes itself as “a leading supplier of air brake and electronically controlled braking systems, foundation brakes, and train control systems for the freight railroad industry.” NYAB has 575 employees at the company’s headquarters in Watertown, N.Y., where the DB-60 II is manufactured. Additional divisions are located in Illinois, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Kingston, Ontario.

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