For every 10 rail cars you need a minimum of 2 hand breaks applied. If the engines were still hooked up with air then a full brake would be applied with air and the proper amount of hand breaks as well. So if air was bleed off then the brakes would still be applied. If some one was to disconnect an air line without following the proper steps then it would set the whole air brake system to go off on emergency brakes which would lock up the whole train. But if you have knowledge of trains you can get around this.
Lots of things can happen in this situation.
Gordon
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