In a message dated 10/13/99 4:22:02 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
mwillis@FOXINTERNET.NET writes:

<<  >>actuating the air brakes. Electropneumatic air brakes have been a dream
of
 > >>RR people for years. If you have a mile long freight and you open the
train
 > >>pipe
 > >>that runs the length of the train, it'll take some time (during which the
 > >>train is bearing
 > >>down on a school bus) to empty the air from the rear car.
 > >>Unfortunately, the difficulty of making a reliable electrical connection
 > >>that won't
 > >>be a maintainence nightmare for the approximately one million RR cars out
 > >>there
 > >>has proved beyond solution.
 > >> >>
May I offer an idea?

I think, from what I understand, that compressed air is distributed to all
the cars.  Couldn't each car have an air tank that stores the compressed air
and, upon a signal from a PIC, cause breaking action?

Just a thought,
Max