This image shows the air brake equipment on an unknown tank wagon.

This photograph shows from left to right an air brake cylinder tank (?), the main reservoir, the air brake control valve (service and emergency portions) and the air brake cylinder.

The combined train line air cut-out cock and filter are just visible to the upper left of the air brake cylinder.

I have no idea what the idea is behind the air brake cylinder tank and to further confuse me I have not a clue as to what the selection valve is doing on this same air line.

In the United States, the exhaust retarder is located on the brake valve exhaust line. Perhaps the Chinese use a combined brake cylinder reservoir and an exhaust retarder to control trains on the long grades for when the locomotives do not have sufficient dynamic brakes.

The slack adjuster is just barely visible behind the air brake cylinder.

This direct air brake system (not graduated as with passenger trains) appears to be similar to the system used in North America and elsewhere (except for the air cylinder reservoir!).

With the railway policeman watching me ever so closely, I could not look at the brake control valve distribution block to verify the air lines and other appliances.

This photograph was taken along side the Jing-Guang mainline as it parallels the Guangzhou freight yard.

B.W. Ring, 2002-March-23, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Olympus E-20: f=2.8, s=1/60 sec, fl=35 mm, ISO=160, filter=uv, E-20 flash used, t=14:56:46, 2560x1920x24-bits, 72dpi jpg, 3700k.
This image has been reduced to a 1000x750x24-bits, 72dpi jpg using Paint Shop Pro 7.00.
Cropping(None), ASE(More Colourful/Weak), Pixel Resize(Smart Size).

www.bwring.net