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Offline Mr. Ron  
#1 Posted : 06 January 2023 09:07:30(UTC)
Mr. Ron

United States   
Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC)
Posts: 311
Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
Are the link and screw couplings still used on British freight vans? How about the side mounted brake lever?
Offline Bogenschütze  
#2 Posted : 06 January 2023 16:54:04(UTC)
Bogenschütze

United Kingdom   
Joined: 10/09/2019(UTC)
Posts: 141
Location: England, Chichester
Originally Posted by: Mr. Ron Go to Quoted Post
Are the link and screw couplings still used on British freight vans? How about the side mounted brake lever?


I'm not an expert on the modern rail scene in the UK but I do live in SE England and see occasional freight movements on my local mainline. The old 4-wheel wagons with side operated brake levers are really only to be found on heritage lines. AFAIK most British freight workings use bogie wagons and are fully vacuum braked with wheel operated brakes when stationary. The screw-link and hook coupling is still the commonest form for loose wagons although some permanently coupled consists may use buckeye types.

Bogie-of-megabox-WHD.png

Marklin - "The train set I never had as a child."
Keith Bowman
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Offline rmsailor  
#3 Posted : 06 January 2023 18:55:58(UTC)
rmsailor

Scotland   
Joined: 20/01/2006(UTC)
Posts: 569
Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife
Originally Posted by: Bogenschütze Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Mr. Ron Go to Quoted Post
Are the link and screw couplings still used on British freight vans? How about the side mounted brake lever?


I'm not an expert on the modern rail scene in the UK but I do live in SE England and see occasional freight movements on my local mainline. The old 4-wheel wagons with side operated brake levers are really only to be found on heritage lines. AFAIK most British freight workings use bogie wagons and are fully vacuum braked with wheel operated brakes when stationary. The screw-link and hook coupling is still the commonest form for loose wagons although some permanently coupled consists may use buckeye types.

Bogie-of-megabox-WHD.png



Vacuum brakes are no longer in use with all stock being air braked.
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Offline Mr. Ron  
#4 Posted : 06 January 2023 22:35:16(UTC)
Mr. Ron

United States   
Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC)
Posts: 311
Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
Originally Posted by: Bogenschütze Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Mr. Ron Go to Quoted Post
Are the link and screw couplings still used on British freight vans? How about the side mounted brake lever?


I'm not an expert on the modern rail scene in the UK but I do live in SE England and see occasional freight movements on my local mainline. The old 4-wheel wagons with side operated brake levers are really only to be found on heritage lines. AFAIK most British freight workings use bogie wagons and are fully vacuum braked with wheel operated brakes when stationary. The screw-link and hook coupling is still the commonest form for loose wagons although some permanently coupled consists may use buckeye types.

[attach]67277

Thank you for the update. Further question on couplings on passenger cars: Are knuckle couplings used on passenger cars exclusively
or link and screw on older wagons? Are British couplers compatable with European couplers? I was watching an old British video about locomotive types used and they showed some cargo vans being sorted at a freight yard. Vans were released and allowed to run downhill to make up tracks. A yard man would run alongside a moving van and using a pole, apply the lever brake. It looked like a very dangerous job. I wonder if they still do it the same today. U.S. yards use retarders between the rails to slow down cars as they are being sorted for a new train make up.
Offline Bogenschütze  
#5 Posted : 07 January 2023 10:11:39(UTC)
Bogenschütze

United Kingdom   
Joined: 10/09/2019(UTC)
Posts: 141
Location: England, Chichester
I believe that all modern passenger coaches in the UK and Europe are coupled with knuckle couplers. This started in the 1950s with the trend for permanently connected multiple-unit trains replacing locomotive hauled trains. On most modern freight wagons the knuckle coupler can be swung down to allow the use of a screw-link coupler where there is a compatibility issue.

Gravity hump marshalling yards do exist in the UK and Europe but since the 1960s they have been large, centralised installations. They are computer controlled and use retarders similar to those used in US yards. The old practice of a shunter running alongside a descending wagon and applying its brake with a pole as a lever was discontinued or certainly phased out about the same time.

Edited by user 07 January 2023 14:22:01(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Marklin - "The train set I never had as a child."
Keith Bowman
Offline Mr. Ron  
#6 Posted : 07 January 2023 17:34:22(UTC)
Mr. Ron

United States   
Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC)
Posts: 311
Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
Originally Posted by: Bogenschütze Go to Quoted Post
I believe that all modern passenger coaches in the UK and Europe are coupled with knuckle couplers. This started in the 1950s with the trend for permanently connected multiple-unit trains replacing locomotive hauled trains. On most modern freight wagons the knuckle coupler can be swung down to allow the use of a screw-link coupler where there is a compatibility issue.

Gravity hump marshalling yards do exist in the UK and Europe but since the 1960s they have been large, centralised installations. They are computer controlled and use retarders similar to those used in US yards. The old practice of a shunter running alongside a descending wagon and applying its brake with a pole as a lever was discontinued or certainly phased out about the same time.


Thank you for the information. Since I am in the U.S. I find it hard to get info about European and UK trains.
Offline H0  
#7 Posted : 09 January 2023 08:43:26(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: Bogenschütze Go to Quoted Post
I believe that all modern passenger coaches in the UK and Europe are coupled with knuckle couplers.
I believe that most passenger coaches in Germany do not use knuckle couplers. They can rarely be seen on freight trains - I only see them on special ore direct trains.
Powered railcars often use Scharfenberg automatic couplers.

Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
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Offline rmsailor  
#8 Posted : 09 January 2023 10:14:35(UTC)
rmsailor

Scotland   
Joined: 20/01/2006(UTC)
Posts: 569
Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife
The LNER before the last war started to fit corridor stock with knuckle couplings. They featured a drop head to uncover a hook for coupling with screw couplings when required. Knuckle couplings were regarded as a safety feature as stock was more liable to stay upright and in line in the event of a derailment. The policy of fitting knuckle couplings was continued by British Railways post-war when the constuction of standard coaches started. today passenger services are almost totally covered by multiple units which feature a fixed or semi-fixed coupling within the set and an automatic coiupling at the outer end.

Edited by user 10 January 2023 09:48:05(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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Offline kimballthurlow  
#9 Posted : 09 January 2023 22:27:30(UTC)
kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,653
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
..I believe that most passenger coaches in Germany do not use knuckle couplers. They can rarely be seen on freight trains - I only see them on special ore direct trains.
Powered railcars often use Scharfenberg automatic couplers.



From my limited observations in both France and Germany prior to 2019, coaches with screw link couplings and buffers was the norm on locomotive hauled trains.
Even though I travelled also in Austria, Hungary and Denmark I can't say for sure if I noticed any difference.

Kimball

HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
Offline Mr. Ron  
#10 Posted : 09 February 2023 22:34:33(UTC)
Mr. Ron

United States   
Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC)
Posts: 311
Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
I believe there was a coupler compatability when the Royal Scotsman toured the U.S.
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