Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Actually, the frequency of broken knuckles depends on location and grade profile. In fact some certain locations are often refered to as drawbar alleys. If you are lucky, you only break a kuckle. Then it is just a matter of dropping a spare off of the engine and pulling the head end of the train up to the set off nuckle (they weigh 85-90 lbs). Changing it is as simple as lifting the nuckle pin out and replacing the nuckle. Some times the pin may have a cotter in it which can complicate matters a bit. If you are unlucky and pull a drawbar out things can get ugly depending on which end of the car is involved. The trailing end is a simple matter of pulling the headend up to a spur and setting the car out. If it is the leading end, you have to either get help to set it out from the rear of the train or chain up the car and pull it to a spur track. Of course you still have to deal with the broken drawbar that is left between the rails. Usually the Car Dept. or other source with a boom truck is needed. Broken kuckles ar usually the fault of poor or rough train handling, although I have seen some that showed signs of being fractured for some time that finally let go with a minimum of extra help.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag