May I have an answer from my railroad brethren from across the pond please?

Question

I've always been curious about the way I've seen coupling between cars in the UK and Europe. Am I correct that I have seen a "link and pin" coupler system? This has always been a dangerous type system, so with the bumpers in place, and a person in between the the equipment, how is the coupling safely achieved? Do what you refer to as "goods trains" have a different type of system, since they are coupled and uncoupled more often than passenger cars?

As far as the bumpers themselves, are they for slack control or another purpose? Are they spring loaded or hydraulic in nature?

OK. So it's more than one question. Can ya help me out?

All good answers so I can't choose, but there will be follow up questians. Thanks to all for the information. "High ball!"

Answer 1

Loose coupled goods trains which used a hook on the van/wagon connected by a three loop 'chain' tightened by a screw mechanism have disappeared from the UK railways. Is this what you mean by 'link and pin'? There is very little coupling and uncoupling of goods trains either - most now run as fixed consists. Goods traffic in this country is mainly either containerised or bulk goods like coal, steel etc, which use dedicated trains. Bumpers - or 'buffers' - were/are spring loaded'

As the 2nd answer has said, couplings between passenger coachs/units are now very sophisticated, and where uncoupling/coupling is required it is usually done automatically. However, the traditional methods of couplings, as described above re good trains, does happen on preserved/heritage railways (which tend to use older style stock). There has, sadly, been at least on incident of a death due to the need to climb into the '4 foot' to connect trains up and the coupler being caught and crushed.

Answer 2

The most dangerous aspect of use of the old 3-link or screw couplings was the (now obsolete) practice known as 'fly shunting', in which the loco would push a line of wagons towards the entrance to a fan of sidings and at the last minute would brake. A rake of wagons which had been uncoupled would then 'fly' off under its own momentum into the selected siding, often hitting the buffer stop or wagons already sorted there with a resounding crash. The buffers were meant to protect the wagons from this rough treatment but that didn't stop damage happening sometimes.

Part of the shunters' job was to uncouple the wagons using long poles with hooks on the end.

I remember seeing this being done in freight yards in the 1970s and it struck me then how dangerous it must be, as indeed it was, as injuries and fatalities were common.

Nowadays with permanently-coupled bulk freight trains and containerisation, this practice has disappeared.

Answer 3

We use a mixture of systems. I think the hook and chain method is all but obsolete in the UK. Some cars use the old fashioned knuckle coupler that the US uses; multiple units tend to have a far more advanced coupler that is fully automatic (both coupling and uncoupling done from the cab) and connects air hoses and electronics at the same time.

Answer 4

This is the best data I can find on the internet, from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupling_%28railway%29

to quote: Cars have buffers, one at each corner on the ends, which are pulled together and compressed by the coupling device. This arrangement limits the slack in trains and lessens shocks. In contrast the Janney couplers encourage violent encounters in order to engage the coupling fully. The earliest buffers were fixed, being extensions of the frames of the wagons, but later on, spring buffers were introduced.

Although inefficient and slow, the European hand-coupled system is relatively safe for the rail workers because the buffers prevent them from being crushed between the cars.

Hope it helps.