Final answer:
In pantograph inspections, a dust cap does not require attachment with a cable to prevent foreign object damage (FOD); instead, essential components like latch pins, cotter pins, and locking bars must be secured to ensure safety and functionality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inspecting a pantograph involves ensuring all small items are secured to prevent foreign object damage (FOD). However, when observing what need not be attached with a cable, the dust cap does not require such a measure. While latch pins, cotter pins, and locking bars are essential to be secured to avert any FOD, dust caps are generally considered as protective covers that do not mandate securing cables during pantograph inspections.
Pantograph inspections are crucial for the maintenance and safety of electrical trains. Since these mechanical assemblies slide against the overhead wire to collect electricity, ensuring all their components are intact and secure is pivotal. In practice, items like latch pins, cotter pins, and locking bars must be tethered to prevent them from becoming loose and possibly causing damage or interruption in service. The dust cap, however, is not involved in the mechanical operation of the pantograph and thus does not require a securing cable as a necessary preventative measure for FOD during inspections. It is designed to shield components from dust and debris and is not critical to the pantograph's function.