Heberlein brake

The Heberleinbremse (after Jacob Heberlein, patent 1856) is an integrated railway brake, which is performed with a mechanical cable actuation. The braking of the train is thereby initiated centrally by the locomotive on a reel. The application of the brake shoes is carried out on the individual car by a servo device which utilizes the axis rotation. The brake operates automatically when a cable breaks. Typical of the Heberleinbremse the clearly visible cable guides are on the car but the ropes could also be performed under the car ( Spreewaldbahn ). She was eventually replaced by the compressed air brake or when narrow gauge railways by the vacuum brake.

The Heberleinbremse is because of its principle of operation ( continuous and automatic ) is still an approved service brake on the railways, especially at the lower velocities of the narrow gauge railways.

On some narrow-gauge railways in Saxony numerous vehicles can be visited with the Heberleinausrüstung ( Lößnitzgrundbahn, Weißeritztalbahn, narrow gauge railway museum Rittersgruen ) in which Preßnitztalbahn still train operation is performed with the Heberleinbremse regularly several times a year.

Due to its operating principle, the Heberleinbremse on a larger time delay to achieve the braking effect than, say, the air brakes or the vacuum brake. Therefore, please pay today to appropriate training and experience of the present locomotive and train crews at an operating use.

A similar in operating principle to Heberleinbremse is the Görlitz weight brake, which is but a strongly varying in design details design of a mechanical brake cable brake, and the continuous system Schraubenradbremse Schmid.