Braking system for a rail car

A braking system for a rail car, said braking system comprising:

• a hydraulic pump;
• engagement means for operatively connecting said hydraulic pump to a rail car axle;
• a hydraulic fluid circulation loop in communication with said hydraulic pump, said circulation loop including a hydraulic fluid reservoir means, a first fluid carrying means extending from said hydraulic pump to said reservoir means, and a second fluid carrying means extending from said reservoir means to said pump for completing said loop, wherein an incompressible hydraulic fluid is circulated around said loop by said pump when said rail car axle is rotating;
• a first fluid restrictive device positioned along said first fluid carrying means and a second fluid restrictive device positioned along said second fluid carrying means, said first and second fluid restrictive devices for regulating the flow of fluid around said hydraulic fluid circulation loop;
• and
• control means for controlling said first and second fluid restrictive devices, wherein by restricting the flow of fluid from said hydraulic pump, a braking force is applied to said rail car axle.

A braking system for a plurality of interconnected rail cars, said braking system comprising:

• a plurality of braking units, each of said braking units comprising a hydraulic pump in operative association with a preselected and corresponding rail car axle of a rail car, such that the rotation of said axle drives said hydraulic pump, said hydraulic pump being in fluid communication with a hydraulic fluid circulation loop for supplying and circulating a hydraulic fluid to and from said pump, said circulation loop including a fluid reservoir, a first conduit extending between said reservoir and said hydraulic pump and a second conduit also extending between said reservoir and said hydraulic pump for completing said loop, each of said braking units further comprising at least one fluid restrictive device positioned along said circulation loop, wherein by restricting the flow of fluid from said pump, said pump applies a braking force to said rail car axle;
• at least one velocity sensing device for each of said rail cars that are equipped with at least one of said braking units, said velocity sensing devices for sensing the relative velocity of said corresponding rail cars;
• and
• central control means adapted to receive commands for decelerating said rail cars, said central control means being configured to receive information from each of said velocity sensing devices and being configured to independently control each of said fluid restrictive devices of said braking units, wherein, when said rail cars are being decelerated, said central control means, based on information received from each of said velocity sensing devices, individually controls each of said fluid restrictive devices so that a corresponding braking force is applied to each of said respective rail car axles for causing said plurality of rail cars to decelerate at a constant rate.