KNOW THE MECHANISM BEHIND EMERGENCY PULL CHAIN !!

You might have seen an Emergency pull chain in Railways. The chain is used to stop the train at the time of an Emergency. Most of us though know what the Pull chain is been used for but do not know the exact mechanism of it. Here is a brief description of what exactly happens in a Train when you pull the Emergency chain.

In a Typical Indian train, the coaches are interconnected by two pipe hoses. The alarm pull chain is in continuity with the Brake pipe (As in the Schematic diagram below) constantly maintained at specific air pressure.
Whenever the chain is been pulled some Air (earlier vacuum drop was used) escapes from the Passenger Emergency Alarm Valve ( PEAV ) vent. 
 

This drop in pressure results in the application of the brake cylinder/piston assembly in the bogie of the coach, which starts pressing the brake pads on the wheels or disc of the entire train. The loco pilot also notices the air pressure drop in the gauge and then uses his own skills to help the train stop comfortably.

As soon as there is pressure drop, the driver whistles in "two short one long" to indicate to the guard and the train TTEs that there has been Alarm chain pulling.

The guard's compartment also has the air pressure gauge which gives him an indication.

Also recently the coaches have been fitted with emergency flashers on the sidewalls of the coaches, and these flashers are also activated when the brake pipe pressure is lost for any reason other than the driver's application of the brakes.

Assistant Driver and Guard find out in which coach the ACP actually occurred and help to "put right" the concerned coach i.e. the lever needs to be manually reset that helps to release the brakes of that coach. Until this is done, the lamp and buzzer in the locomotive cab are continuously activated. The air pressure system again builds up air pressure and that releases all brakes of all coach and the train gets ready to depart.