Uncoupling levers

[Noah Hofrichter]

Could somebody tell me how a Frieght car uncoupling lever works? I know the conductor uses it to unlock the knucle coupler so they can join other cars to it, I think, but how does it actually work?

Thanks, Noah

[csxengineer98]

it lifts up on the locking pin that holds the knucle closed...have to have the slack bunched to be able to opporate it...
csx engineer

[Anonymous]

Cars couple together without any need to move or hold the uncoupling lever. When the cars bang together, the pin drops and the couplers hold. When you want to uncouple, you have to ask the engineer to give you a little slack to bunch the coupler, which releases the uncoupling pin to be lifted. Normally, once you lift the lever, the pin will stay up, allowing you to uncouple the car without having to stay at the joint and physically hold up the pin, (delayed uncoupling, if you will). If the car gets bumped again, though, the pin will drop, locking the couplers back together. Good switchmen work these levers all the time, and get to know the feel of each one, so that you know if you really "got the pin" or not. Some cars, particularly the long flatcars have troublesome pin-lifters which are very touchy, and don't keep the pin up.

BNSF trainman

[Noah Hofrichter]

Thanks to both of you, I learned something again.

Noah

[Anonymous]

?? do both knuckles have to be open to make a joint ???

[Anonymous]

na, just one. but I usually open em both, especially coupling in a curve.

[Anonymous]

just bang 'em together and hope you make the connection.

[edblysard]

No, only one needs to be open, but if your working in a yard, you learn real quick to open every knuckel you find, it help a lot, the cars can get kicked hard enough to close up all the joints in a track, beats getting it together the hard way.

Ed