COMPOSITE BRAKE BLOCKS

With manual handling regulations ever more stringent, and ferrous blocks progressively more expensive, you might like to consider composite blocks as the way forward.

Composite blocks comprise moulded, engineered braking materials whose friction characteristics are set in the laboratory rather than the foundry floor. The are moulded in the manner of slipper blocks, i.e. with steel back plate and loops set in for securing to a carrier.

They have three main advantages:

• Lightness: the blocks I supply can be lifted with one finger
• Longevity: these blocks generally last longer than the equivalent ferrous block. I have seen a set last five times that of a good quality ferrous block in a similar duty cycle. One locomotive at Peak Rail, consistently wearing a set of YEC1477s at 12 monthly intervals on works duties, has now seen over 18months service on composite blocks that seem so far to have little more than bedded in.
• Cost Effective: if their longer life was not enough, they are generally competitive with mechanically cast slipper blocks and significantly cheaper than conventional cast loco blocks.

These are recognised rail-industry brake blocks used on main line applications in the UK and Europe, although the specific material is tailored to suit slow speed (heritage or industrial) applications.