Puzzler

[wabash1]

In modern day trains of today I leave my train streched for the perpose of leaving fast. If you have slack in your train you haft to leave slow to strech them so you dont get a knuckle. if they are streched tight like on a hill you just get notches and keep pulling no need to work out the slack. or worry about a knuckle. to take slack to move the train is not common practice anymore.

[Modelcar]

....How about a railroader stepping up and answering whether passenger trains do or do not have slack built into the couplers....As I mentioned above, I don't think they do, but lets hear the voice of the trade.

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....How about a railroader stepping up and answering whether passenger trains do or do not have slack built into the couplers....As I mentioned above, I don't think they do, but lets hear the voice of the trade.

A very little bit; just enough to allow the moving parts of the knuckle to open and close. But even that small amound can seem like lots in the hands of a lousy engineer.

On the CNW, we ran push-pull suburban trains. Back before Metra went to all F40PH's, we ran F7's & E8's, which all had a "quick-start" switch (this caused the load regulator to move to maximun field when the locomotive was in 'idle'). When operating from the cab-car, one had to be very careful not to release the brakes too fast as the throttle was opened. We usually kept about 25psi of brakes set when stopped at a station. When the throttle was put in the first notch, the loco would bump up against the coaches with their brakes firmly set. This resulted in a nice smooth start. If insufficient air was held on during the stop, the motion of the loco banging in to loose-rolling coaches had the result of sitting down anyone that was still standing, and also causing many cups of coffee to be spilled. Experienced commuters knew not to drink during a station stop until the train was moving. The good engineers also knew at which stations the slack would run-in during a station stop when running from the locomotive. Easy throttle advancement was necessary then, too.

And all this "slack action" occurred in trains of only 3-8 coaches!

BTW-all passenger cars (and locomotives) have the "lock-tite" type of knuckle. It is similar to the type seen on haz-mat cars.

[Modelcar]

...Zardoz: Thanks...for comprehensive answer. I suppose the engineer making a smooth start and not so smooth start might be compared to a good aircraft landing and the other kind...So, I suppose if a passenger train of say 20 cars was in control of an engineer in a hurry, the rearmost passengers might get a pretty good kick on a hurried start.