Brake lever question F units

[DrDuMont]

Hello, new user here, old time railroad fan, tho.
I have seen a number of in cab videos of EMD F units, and I note that on the break controls (there are three, it seems?), the engineer would press downwards on the lever, but I have never found an explanation of that function. Could someone enlighten me, please?
Also, I understand the Independent brake and the Trainline brake, what is the third valve lever?
Thanks in advance for any replies. I will now begin to read the site from cover to cover while I wait for a reply. What a wonderful site full of intereting info!
-- Doc DuMont
Member:
Illinois Railway Museum
Museum of the American Railroad

 

[bcp]

Maybe this PDF F7 manual will help.

EMD-F7

Bruce

 

[DrDuMont]

Thanks, Bruce! Looks like it is a handy control for the sanders. Press the handle down and sand is applied, I guess.
Thanks for the link.

 

[CGW101c]

On the old independent brake levers, wasn't the release position down?

 

[shay2305]

In a nut shell:

There are two handles for the air brakes. The independent or locomotive bake controls the locomotive only. The Automatic or train brake will control the train and locomotive. The independent is the smaller of the two handles. To apply the locomotive brake the engineer moves the handle from far left, release position, to the right. The further the handle is moved the harder the brakes are applied. When the engineer applies the train brakes it is usually desirable to not have the locomotive brakes apply since they apply faster and harder than the brakes on the train and this will cause the slack to run in on the train. Pressing down on the independent after an application of the automatic brake will release the brakes on the locomotive only. While pressing down on the brake handle the engineer can still apply the locomotive brakes by moving the handle right and left as desired.

 

[DrDuMont]

In a nut shell:

There are two handles for the air brakes. The independent or locomotive bake controls the locomotive only. The Automatic or train brake will control the train and locomotive. The independent is the smaller of the two handles. To apply the locomotive brake the engineer moves the handle from far left, release position, to the right. The further the handle is moved the harder the brakes are applied. When the engineer applies the train brakes it is usually desirable to not have the locomotive brakes apply since they apply faster and harder than the brakes on the train and this will cause the slack to run in on the train. Pressing down on the independent after an application of the automatic brake will release the brakes on the locomotive only. While pressing down on the brake handle the engineer can still apply the locomotive brakes by moving the handle right and left as desired.

Thanks so much - this is the answer for which I was looking. I remember this being mentioned somewhere, but I oculd not for the life of me remember what the function was. Makes sense.
Again,
thanks!
-=- Doc