Railroaders' Nostalgia > Espee Sw 1500's

(Enginemen and Conductors who like to "Run".)
Now we were instructed  to mu'em 2nd out because of coupler alignment problems in a multiple consist. Later on that issue was taken care of.
But thats not the issue here:
The damn things wouldn't stop. Almost dangerous until you got the feel. They came new with a max of 32psi on the jam. And the Company wanted that! Try and handle of cut of cars with 32psi. You never knew where you were going to stop!
Of course we could cut the air in on the first 5 cars or so but that can be a pain in the ass when you are switching "Mill Run". Well it didn't take long to rectify the problem:You carried an allen wrench with you.There was a brass plug on the side of the jam
where you adjust brake shoe pressure. So you screwed up the dial to read 45-49 psi. Now you were in business. You could do a damn good job with your  pin puller now!  You stopped on a dime! When you finished your work you just screwwed down the allen nut and went home.
Well the RH got wind of this and removed the brass plug and milled it down to where there wasn't anyway you could apply the allen wrench. Besides there were notices in your locker room prohibiting you from anything other than 32psi!
I want to say there might have been another measure some guys took but I don't recall what it was.


jj bucksnort

Even with some Geeps when we have to switch out sand, fertilizer, flour or have a bunch of heavy sh$t I’ll cut in 3/5 cars of air. Nice to have that in your back pocket if you need it. Especially on some of the ski slope yards I work in.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

WE used them on the CSX, former L&N. True the engine brake was poor when fully applied. To get an xtra 10lbs or so, I would make a full application on the big brake and it helped. 
I could get them to really pull, but stopping a heavy cut was another problem.

Steve

Same problem on SCL

Sam

Power Bureau sent us one by mistake for a road local to use...it was great in the yard putting the trains together, nevermind the tepid brakes, but it's inablity to make any speed on the mainline made it a pain in the patootie. The dispatcher was willing to take you directly to your next switch usually...instead with this engine you languished in each siding until there was enough time to let you amble to the next one and rot there. People who run their trains get to do so...