I'm trying to find out if Pullman WWII troop cars had type H tightlock couplers?
Not a lot of information online about their couplers.
The coupler in the pic above kind of looks like a tightlock, but very hard to tell.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
Try this site - has all known Pullman data. If it exists, it's somewhere in here.
http://pullmanproject.com/Pullman_CCR_Text2.htm
I googled "Pullman troop cars" and looked at the images, and have yet to find a pic of one with tightlocks. Weren't they developed some time in the '70s?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
This site has a few pictures of the PRR built cars.
http://www.billspennsyphotos.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11158055
I have some specs listed in the book Trains To Victory as follows:
Cars were built in two lots totaling 2,400 cars in their Michigan City plant. 7000 to 8199 from Oct. 1943 through March 1944 (lot 6704) and car numbers 8300 to 8499 and 9000 ti 9999 from Oct. 1945 through May 1946 (lot 6753).
Unfortunately there is no mention of the coupler but there are several photos of new cars and none of them show tightlock couplers, they all look like standard type E couplers.
Shucks, I was just on the 7407 a year or two ago in Bellevue, Ohio but neglected to get a photo of the car end (it was sandwiched between two other cars)
Dave, there was an AAR committee formed in 1936 to develop a tightlock coupler.
It became available as a type H coupler for passenger equipment in 1937 and was required on any passenger cars built after 1956. It had a 6½" x 8" shank and that may be why it wasn't used in the Troop Sleeper due to the necessary draft gear and required a heavier hanger assembly.
Good Luck, Ed
Accounts indicate the cars were intended to minimize use of strategically critical materials. Since they were cutting corners on just about everything else, doesn't make a lot of sense that these cars would get Tightlocks. But that doesn't prove they didn't, either.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thanks for the info thus far. Oh and by tightlocks I'm referring to passenger train couplers. Type H. Not shelf couplers.
Searching some more on Google found this car that sold. Mentions "H" couplers. But these could have been added later on.
"Some of the mechanical details include: good body and roof, friction bearings, original Allied Full Cushion Trucks, H couplers, good interior"
Troop Sleeper
Sure wish Walther would run more. They seem to be looooooong sold out.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 Sure wish Walther would run more. They seem to be looooooong sold out.
Yup, me too. I was going through my pile recently. And I bought plenty of undecs (for doing various rebuilds) but didn't get enough of the "real" ones. I could certainly use another 3-pack, at a minimum.
Ed
Southwest ChiefSearching some more on Google found this car that sold. Mentions "H" couplers. But these could have been added later on.
I suppose when some of the railroads were converting these to other uses, M of W, express and mail storage they may have converted to type H couplers. This would probably involve new draft gear, too.
Here are two as built end photos I came across that show a type E coupler installed.
This site has some decent information but still, lacks any mention of coupler types.
http://www.prototypespecificproducts.com/military-cars/
You have to dig a little to find additional info on the site but it is interesting just the same.
Hope that helps, Ed
Thanks for finding those images Ed.
Southwest Chief Thanks for finding those images Ed.
Glad to help out an 'ol Trooper...
On a car with a dual air brake system, there is a valve that senses whether or not the signal hose is live. If so, it sets up to operate at 110 psi for passenger service. If not, then 90 for freight. At least that's the way I understand it.
To add a little more info from Steemtrayn's post...
From Trains To Victory by Donald Heimburger and John Kelly:
The cars were equipped with two AB-1-B type control valves, two air reservoirs, two type C slack adjusters and two UAH 10' x 12' brake cylinders operating each truck independently.
The Westinghouse AB-1-B brake equipment was a modification of the standard AB freight car brake system. It was designed for use on freight cars that operated in both freight and fast passenger service. This eliminated operation of the "controlled emergency" necessary for long freight train service and enabled the emergency rate of the brake cylinder application appropriate to passenger train operation.
Now I'm not quite sure what the authors are trying to explain with the "controlled emergency"? My understanding of the main difference of passenger and freight brakes back then, besides the brake pipe pressure that Dave mentioned, is that passenger control valves are set for graduated release and freight valves direct release.
Emergency rate was just that, emergency application as fast as possible using the emergency side of the air reservoir.
I remember having to switch over passenger cars that were going to be deadheaded in freight that had UC brake valves from graduated to direct by removing three bolts and rotating a plate, (I don't recall if the D22s had this feature, too) then bolting back. I imagine this would be pretty time consuming for troop movements that might see dual service operation very frequently in the course of a weeks time.
Neat Stuff, Ed
At these web addresses are new Haven RR diagrams of both series of former troop cars converted as follows Storage Mail Cars3600 to 3686 http://www.alphabetroute.com/nynhh/1955passdgms/3600-3686.pdf
And Baggage Cars 3700 to 3762
http://www.alphabetroute.com/nynhh/1955passdgms/3700-3762.pdf
Both specify AAR type E couplers of course this as they were rebuilt /converted .I dont know if they came to the railroad with type E.
Ron High
Thanks, Ron
That's a great deal of information on that diagram. I'm going to bet that they were built, and later sold to the New Haven, with the type E couplers.
Regards, Ed