Detailing - MU Hoses

rockislandmike

Active Member
Greetings again. Curious about MU hoses - how many would go in the front of each loco ??? Detail Associates have them in packages of "16", whatever that may mean - how many locos will that do ???
 
C

Catt

Most locos seem to have 6 to 8 on each end set up as 3/4 to either side of the couplers.Not exactly sure why they need so many .
 

60103

Pooh Bah
MU hoses

Catt:
There's a thread on trains.com called mixed consists that addresses this.
Apparently, the hoses connect functions that operate pneumaticly like brakes and sanding, while the other functions go through the electrical hose which has dozens of wires in it.
There's a little box on the pilot that the bottom ends of the hoses go in to keep them neat. They don't always make it and there are little rusty arcs where the connectors swing against the paint.
 
MU Hoses

To all,

Each locomotive should have three hoses on each corner, (or 6 plus 1 on each end) and one Brake pipe hose and valve just to the right of the couple on each end. The hoses are designated as follows; looking at the pilot, to the left is 'Brake Cylinder', 'Actuate' {a bail}, 'Main Reservoir'. Then the Brake Pipe in the middle, then another Main Res, then another Act. and then a Brake Cylinder on the right. The brake pipe is 1 1/4" hose, the two main res hoses are 1", and the other four are all 1/2".

Hope this helps,

Drew
 
MU hoses

The three on each side are duplicates, so you only 'need' to hook up the hoses on one side, plus brake pipe. But I used to tell the guys, no sense in letting the unused hoses just hang there, hook 'em up!

RI Mike, those dimensions are for Inside Diameter of the hose, so in fact, the outside should be bigger!!:rolleyes:

Also, I should have mentioned that your unit or Railroad, could have more hoses than I mentioned. Some could have an extra hose, about 3/4 - 1" just to the right of the Brake Pipe. It could be labelled Aux. Res. and could be used to charge up the snowplow or Jordon Spreader. That would only be set at 90-100psi. And on some of the older units, there was in fact a 'Sand' hose that was used to transmit the air signal to the trailing units, when the engineman operated the valve in the cab. It again, would have been 1/2" and located outside the 'brake cylinder' hose, one on each corner.

Drew
 
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