[okie01]

I’m surprised these brake systems aren’t designed like trucks where the air keeps the brakes OFF. Failure of an air line or compressor would mean the brakes lock up.

They are.

[headstamp 2]

Not from what I’ve read. It’s the opposite. see post 33.

At any rate they should have been secured far better than they were including cranking down the manual breaks on the cars.

The rail line is going to lose their ass over this.

[Paladin2]

They do lock up initially (like when a coupling fails or opens on a moving train), but not forever.