[Idyllchat] Re: [Culturechat] Gigli needs help
Peter Haggart
haggart@uidaho.edu
Wed, 23 Jan 2002 13:05:19 -0800
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This may have been just some help for Vance - but it was entertaining to me,
but then I always did like watching trains when I was a kid!
pete
----- Original Message -----
From: Kk5qq@aol.com
To: gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
Cc: culturechat@untours.com ; Idyllchat@untours.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 12:57 PM
Subject: [Idyllchat] Re: [Culturechat] Gigli needs help
In a message dated 1/23/02 8:37:11 AM Central Standard Time,
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch writes:
He says there is an improved coupling mechanism from the USA which now
allows more cars to be linked with less "play" between the cars. He had
no name for this.
The general term is "Tightlock" but I don't know if this is a trademarked
name of just one supplier. Passenger cars in the USA usually have these.
USA freight cars use knuckle couplers that engage automatically upon
contact, assuming at least one of the knuckles has been opened ahead of
time. (It's still necessary for a crew member to manually connect the
airbrake hoses.) The shock-asbsorbing mechanism is built into the pocket
containing the coupler's shank -- and cannot be seen from the outside. Some
cars for special damage-free service may have better shock absorbers than
the usual freight car has.
European freight trains, otoh, use a hook-and-chain mechanism equipped
with a turnbuckle screw that must be tightened manually after the crew
member has physically placed the chain link on the hook attached to the car.
"Buffers" near the outer end of the car bear against their counterparts on
the adjoining car -- and these have some sort of shock-absorbing
capabilities.
Routine European passenger cars have similar coupler and buffer setups.
However, some modern cars have semiautomatic mechanisms that also probably
incorporate no-slack devices. A few trains (in Scandinavia, I think)
actually can be uncoupled or separated at speed so one half -- with its own
engineer, of course, can be sent on a diverging route.
Take a look the next time you are down at the station and report back to
us. Look both between cars and also at the end of the train where the
mechanism can be seen clearly. Look at both modern and standard trains, as
well as freight trains. No doubt the really modern passenger trains such as
CIS-Alpino tilt and TGV and whatever DB calls them in Germany have better
couplers. In fact, many of these are semipermanently coupled together into
trainsets containing perhaps 6 or 8 cars with their own locomotive(s). Some
share a common "truck" or "bogey" between each two cars. You probably won't
be able to see much of the coupling mechanism on any of these high speed
trains.
For better info, go to http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/misc/timetabl.html
and then page down past the official railway links and the timetable links
to reach the "Railfan" links. Click on one of these for the country of
interest and you can probably find links or a place to post questions or at
least the edress of the webmeister who can forward a question to a
knowledgeable local person. Railfans are not unlike other hobbyists, and
chances are there is some "nut" who knows all there is to be known about an
arcane subset of a hobby.
Irv Smith
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">This may have been just some help =
for Vance -=20
but it was entertaining to me, but then I always did like watching =
trains=20
when I was a kid!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">pete</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DKk5qq@aol.com =
href=3D"mailto:Kk5qq@aol.com">Kk5qq@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dgigli.saw@dplanet.ch=20
href=3D"mailto:gigli.saw@dplanet.ch">gigli.saw@dplanet.ch</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A =
title=3Dculturechat@untours.com=20
href=3D"mailto:culturechat@untours.com">culturechat@untours.com</A> ; =
<A=20
title=3DIdyllchat@untours.com=20
href=3D"mailto:Idyllchat@untours.com">Idyllchat@untours.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 23, =
2002 12:57=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Idyllchat] Re: =
[Culturechat]=20
Gigli needs help</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3DBangle size=3D3>In a=20
message dated 1/23/02 8:37:11 AM Central Standard Time, <A=20
href=3D"mailto:gigli.saw@dplanet.ch">gigli.saw@dplanet.ch</A>=20
writes:<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial color=3D#000000 =
size=3D2=20
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" DEFANGED_STYLE=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
DEFANGED_STYLE=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"=20
TYPE=3D"CITE">He says there is an improved coupling mechanism from the =
USA=20
which now <BR>allows more cars to be linked with less "play" between =
the=20
cars. He had <BR>no name for this.</BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT =
lang=3D0=20
face=3DBangle color=3D#000000 size=3D3=20
DEFANGED_STYLE=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><BR>The general term is =
"Tightlock"=20
but I don't know if this is a trademarked name of just one =
supplier. =20
Passenger cars in the USA usually have these.<BR><BR>USA freight cars =
use=20
knuckle couplers that engage automatically upon contact, assuming at =
least one=20
of the knuckles has been opened ahead of time. (It's still =
necessary for=20
a crew member to manually connect the airbrake hoses.) The=20
shock-asbsorbing mechanism is built into the pocket containing the =
coupler's=20
shank -- and cannot be seen from the outside. Some cars for =
special=20
damage-free service may have better shock absorbers than the usual =
freight car=20
has.<BR><BR>European freight trains, otoh, use a hook-and-chain =
mechanism=20
equipped with a turnbuckle screw that must be tightened manually after =
the=20
crew member has physically placed the chain link on the hook attached =
to the=20
car. "Buffers" near the outer end of the car bear against their=20
counterparts on the adjoining car -- and these have some sort of=20
shock-absorbing capabilities.<BR><BR>Routine European passenger cars =
have=20
similar coupler and buffer setups. However, some modern cars =
have=20
semiautomatic mechanisms that also probably incorporate no-slack=20
devices. A few trains (in Scandinavia, I think) actually can be=20
uncoupled or separated at speed so one half -- with its own engineer, =
of=20
course, can be sent on a diverging route.<BR><BR>Take a look the next =
time you=20
are down at the station and report back to us. Look both between =
cars=20
and also at the end of the train where the mechanism can be seen=20
clearly. Look at both modern and standard trains, as well as =
freight=20
trains. No doubt the really modern passenger trains such as =
CIS-Alpino=20
tilt and TGV and whatever DB calls them in Germany have better =
couplers. =20
In fact, many of these are semipermanently coupled together into =
trainsets=20
containing perhaps 6 or 8 cars with their own locomotive(s). =
Some share=20
a common "truck" or "bogey" between each two cars. You probably =
won't be=20
able to see much of the coupling mechanism on any of these high speed=20
trains.<BR><BR>For better info, go to <A=20
=
href=3D"http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/misc/timetabl.html">http://mercurio.=
iet.unipi.it/misc/timetabl.html</A>=20
<BR>and then page down past the official railway links and the =
timetable links=20
to reach the "Railfan" links. Click on one of these for the =
country of=20
interest and you can probably find links or a place to post questions =
or at=20
least the edress of the webmeister who can forward a question to a=20
knowledgeable local person. Railfans are not unlike other =
hobbyists, and=20
chances are there is some "nut" who knows all there is to be known =
about an=20
arcane subset of a hobby.<BR><BR>Irv Smith</FONT>=20
</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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