I am building a narrow gauge passenger, all my previous layouts having been industrial. Because of this I am not sure about something: If a loco runs round a train with a brake van at the other end, does the brake van have to be moved so it is still at the opposite end of the train to the loco?
It depends if the train is fitted with continuous brakes or is lose coupled.
If it does have continuous brakes fitted then the brake van can be anywhere in the train, although even then some railways will marshal a train so that the brake van is on the rear of a train.
If the train has no continuous brakes then the best place for the brake van is indeed the back end of the train.
However this is not a hard and fast rule. On the FR at one time the brake van was at the end of the passenger and goods section of the train and then the slate wagons followed the van. Some railways just stipulate that a manned braked vehicle needs to be at the end of a non fitted train that is of sufficient braking power to stop the train.
So if you have a freelance railway it is up to you. On my German layouts we just specify that the last good vehicle needs to have a brake and some where for a person to operate it from, i.e. a balcony end with a brake wheel.
Brian Meldon
I'm going to get around this by having a brake van or composite carriage at either end of my passenger trains on the Isle of Stoner. This is partly because I have far too many brake vehicles and also an absurd gradient so plenty of brake would be a useful idea.
John W
I am unable to have a braked vehicle at both ends because it is a micro-layout. Having said that, if I buy another Kiso Forest brake van :)...