Air brake distributor valves

[eldomtom2]

I'm trying to find information on the distributor valves used in air brake systems. Most of what I can find is about the early "triple valve" form that IIRC was never used on British railways.

 

[Father Jack]

Most of what I can find is about the early "triple valve" form that IIRC was never used on British railways.

All Southern Electric slam door stock were fitted with triple valves as well as EP brakes (Electro Pneumatic brakes were not failsafe), along with the DEMU fleet.
This could induce some nervous moments when training, part of which was using the Automatic brake (not EP) when running into a terminus, as you couldn't lap them off.

 

[fodphil]

Cartic sets were fitted with them, always interesting when we worked them out of Halewoods

 

[Ashley Hill]

Is this any help?

The Westinghouse air brake system; a complete and strictly up-to-date treatise containing detailed descriptions and explanations of all the various parts of the Westinghouse air brake : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

20 p.l., 552, ix, [6] p. 20 cm

archive.org

 

[eldomtom2]

Is this any help?

The Westinghouse air brake system; a complete and strictly up-to-date treatise containing detailed descriptions and explanations of all the various parts of the Westinghouse air brake : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

20 p.l., 552, ix, [6] p. 20 cm

archive.org

Absolutely not, that's all about the early triple valve type.

 

[ac6000cw]

This has a section about distributor valves - https://www.advanced-steam.org/wp-c...lls-Brakes-presentation-Part-2-Air-Brakes.pdf

 

[GC class B1]

Triple valves and air brake distributor valves are often confused and the wrong terminology used. The key functional differences between triple valves and air brake distributors are that triple valves are graduated application and non graduated (I.e. complete release) where distributors are graduated application and release. Also with triple valves only one Full Service brake application is available without fully recharging the Brake Supply reservoir as the maximum brake cylinder pressure is obtained by sizing the Brake Supply reservoirs so that when the reservoir and brake cylinders are connected together the volume increase gives the maximum brake cylinder pressure. With an air brake distributor a much larger volume Brake Supply Reservoir can be provided as the distributor controls the maximum brake cylinder pressure. A two pipe air brake system will not run out of compressed air for the brake system as long as the main reservoir pipe is being charged. A triple valve system can run out of compressed air as the brakes are applied and released in quick succession as the Brake Supply reservoir will not be recharged until the brake pipe has been recharged.
The air brake distributor provides a much more controllable brake system and is compliant with the requirements of a UIC brake system as defined in the TSIs and NTSNs that have replaced them in Britain.