What are anti-climbers/What are they used for.
I think I probably know, but am forgetting them by name.
An Anti-climber is designed to prevent one car, or locomotive, from overriding another in a derailment or collision. On a locomotive its the heavy frame extension over the coupler at walkway level.
I think they are supposed to help prevent railroad equipement from telescoping.
They are the heavy shelf over the knuckle/coupler pocket on locomotives, but appear as if they are the “pointy” part of the walkway on the nose and rear deck, where the drop down step is…they are a reinforced part of the side and end sill.
The purpose is to prevent anything you hit, car, train, or abandoned ice box on the tracks, what ever, from riding up or climbing over the walkway and into the cab or locomotive body…
On the older car body units, like the E or F units…it is the ridge or band running across the nose, just above the front skirt or pilot plate…the idea is to trap what you hit between the anti climber and the ground…
Ed
Anti-climbers were indeed orignally designed for street railway and interurban cars, especially those with wood carbodies. The goal was to prevent telescoping and the massive casualties that would result in the event of a collision or other accident, but the goal was not always met.