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(last edited July 19, 2005) Front Page | Recent Changes | Title Index | User Preferences | Random Page | HelpA US term referring to the act of putting a train into service from a station or depot or when they are revesed at a terminus. It was common for a "dispatcher" to allot crews to trains and issue "dispatch orders" to sned train out. The function is similar to the UK "controller".
As used on trains, the disc brake (photo above) is similar to the disc brake used on road vehicles but may take the form of a pair of discs mounted either side of the wheel web or a double-sided self-ventilating disc mounted on the axle. Very high speed trains, such as the French TGV, have up to four sets of double discs per axle. The design and number of discs is critical to train safety as they must be capable of dissipating the maximum amount of heat generated during an emergency brake application from the highest speed attainable by the train. Disc brakes on trains are invariably air operated.
