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N.Y. Air Brake gets ready for new business
Watertown Daily Times ^ | MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010 | NANCY MADSEN

Posted on 06/21/2010 4:30:10 AM PDT by Willie Green

NEW PRODUCTS: Planning in works for making parts for passenger rail cars, use of high-rail stimulus funds

New York Air Brake Co. will be ready for new business if the state's proposed high-speed commuter railroad lines become a reality.

The Watertown railroad brake manufacturer has two products used in passenger rail cars, said Marc B. Robbins, locomotive sales engineer.

"It really is a little different than what we're used to working with in freight," he said.

The biggest difference is stricter safety requirements.

One such product is a brake that has a passenger version, CCB II-P.

"It's one of our most reliable brakes for freight," Mr. Robbins said.

The other, EP-60, connects cars in a train through an electric line to turn on the brakes all at once. The other option is a pneumatic line that sends air down the train to begin stopping.

"It's much faster than a pneumatic line," Mr. Robbins said. "As you increase the speed of the train, you want to make sure you can slow it down that much faster."

To begin producing more of the parts destined for passenger cars, the engineering group at the plant, 748 Starbuck Ave., will be busy.

"There's certainly a lot more software and engineering work that would have to go into it," he said. "For manufacturing, it's just a change in the software."

Mr. Robbins was a participant in a state summit on rail transportation in Albany last week. The state Empire State Development Corp. and Department of Transportation organized the event, which drew more than 200 public and private stakeholders, according to a news release.

The summit focused on winning more high-speed and intercity passenger rail funding, learning how state agencies will help rail-related businesses compete for these funds and promoting the high-speed rail movement.

"Certainly, the two big hotbeds right now are New York and California," Mr. Robbins said. "The whole point is to utilize assets in New York. We want to use New York products, so more of the money stays here."

The state already has received $151 million in grants from the Federal Rail Administration as part of the $8 billion in stimulus funding earmarked for high-speed rail.

State officials have said a high-speed passenger line from Albany to Buffalo can be built for $3 billion to $5 billion in three to five years, according to the Post-Standard, Syracuse.

The state plans more meetings beginning in November. Mr. Robbins said Air Brake representatives will continue to attend.

"We want to make sure New York Air Brake is in a position to capitalize from the stimulus funding," he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: New York
KEYWORDS: boxcarwillie; choochoocharlie; innovation; invention; stimulus
"Necessity is the Mother of Invention"

As our transformation to modern, 21st Century transportation infrastructure picks up steam, American Ingenuity sparks innovative engineering solutions to meet the more challenging demands of the 21st Century market!

1 posted on 06/21/2010 4:30:11 AM PDT by Willie Green
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To: Willie Green

It’s not a market. There is no willing buyer. Just broke, indebted, tax thieving New York and California government, both of whom have long since chased through unions, taxes, and administration featherbedding and mercantilists hack companies away their manufacturing base. California to Nevada, and New York to the south.

And besides, if the lines are done, in California’s case the trains will be built in China, with copied European and Japanese designs. Even the Chinese are not so stupid to waste money redesigning the wheel.

I suppose New York will blow half a billion just starting up some shell of the old Budd company to slap together some mediocre speed, union built, hack engineering firm, death trap.


2 posted on 06/21/2010 5:17:39 AM PDT by Leisler ("Over time they create a legal system that plunders and a moral code that glorifies it." F. Bastiat)
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To: Willie Green
State officials have said a high-speed passenger line from Albany to Buffalo can be built for $3 billion to $5 billion in three to five years, according to the Post-Standard, Syracuse.
American Ingenuity sparks innovative engineering solutions to meet the more challenging demands of the 21st Century market!
Hey Willie, it only took 6yrs to build the trans-continental railroad using pick and shovel, 19th century technology. What went wrong?
3 posted on 06/21/2010 5:33:48 AM PDT by lewislynn (What does the global warming movement and the Fairtax movement have in common? Disinformation)
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To: lewislynn
Hey Willie, it only took 6yrs to build the trans-continental railroad using pick and shovel, 19th century technology. What went wrong?

Can you say "Environmental Impact Statement"?

4 posted on 06/21/2010 5:41:48 AM PDT by Travis T. OJustice (I can spell just fine, thanks, it's my typing that sucks.)
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To: Leisler
I suppose New York will blow half a billion just starting up some shell of the old Budd company to slap together some mediocre speed, union built, hack engineering firm, death trap

What about shoe buttons? Buggy Whips? Victrolas?

It's a world filled with opportunities out there!

5 posted on 06/21/2010 6:13:51 AM PDT by Gorzaloon (CNN:AP:etc:Today, President Obama's stool was firm and well-formed. One end was slightly pointed. ")
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To: lewislynn
Hey Willie, it only took 6yrs to build the trans-continental railroad using pick and shovel, 19th century technology. What went wrong?
Wall Street Lobbyists found easier ways to swindle the American People after they invented the Federal Reserve.
6 posted on 06/21/2010 6:15:31 AM PDT by Willie Green ("Some people march to the beat of a different drum - and some people polka. ..")
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To: Willie Green

The only air brake to consider is the total lack of funding available to realize any of this high speed nonsense. Its the spending stupid!


7 posted on 06/21/2010 6:17:39 AM PDT by equalitybeforethelaw
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To: Willie Green; lewislynn

The ‘Planners’, aka, hack engineering firms, brother in laws of state senator so and so, who’s gong to get hired, mafia, environmental lefty tree counting firms....rots and rots of swag cutting up has to be done. Preferably wrong the first time so that there are revisions. And life time quality issues like Boston’s Big Pig Dig went from 3 billion to 15 billion for a failed, visually poorly constructed union, engineer firms that live off the gov teat job.

Since there is no need, no private customer, it doesn’t really matter how long it takes. Actually to the separate the citizen taxpayer and his money crew( usual suspects unions/contractors/politicians ) the longer the better.


8 posted on 06/21/2010 6:34:29 AM PDT by Leisler ("Over time they create a legal system that plunders and a moral code that glorifies it." F. Bastiat)
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