Drawbar Pulling Weight

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Hi,

I have a question that I’ve never been able to find an answer for. How is the coupler on a locomotive able to withstand the stress of overcoming the inertia of a trainload of fully loaded cars? I had originally thought that the coupler was built stronger than the couplers on cars, but that wouldn’t explain how the lead car can stand the stress without ripping apart.

Thanks,

Joe

2

…Wouldn’t the drawbar / coupler at the engine see only as much force as the engine has tractive effort…?

3

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-loading.html This is old info,but the principles still aply today.

4

Thanks!

5

Hi,

I have a question that I’ve never been able to find an answer for. How is the coupler on a locomotive able to withstand the stress of overcoming the inertia of a trainload of fully loaded cars? I had originally thought that the coupler was built stronger than the couplers on cars, but that wouldn’t explain how the lead car can stand the stress without ripping apart.

Thanks,

Joe

6

…Wouldn’t the drawbar / coupler at the engine see only as much force as the engine has tractive effort…?

7

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-loading.html This is old info,but the principles still aply today.

8

Thanks!