http://www.trainweb.org/tgvpages/images/laposte/laposte5.jpg
This is a picture of a TGV (worlds fastest trains) after the lead electric locomtive has uncoupled from its train. The couplers are just the hook and buffer type !!! Those world’s fastest high speed trains are held together this way, you could couple Stephenson’s Rocket to pull the train ! Same coupler system. Not same brakes so I guess you’d have to figure out how to bleed the cars off.
Well,
Not really old tech at all.
The shackle system works much better than a knuckle coupler for that type of train…remember, the cars are light weight and aerodynamic, and the shackle will allow a lot more “play” in all of the planes, up, down and side to side, which will make the cars track much better and with the buffer gear, the ride will be that much smoother.
And, the locomotives and cars are dedicated sets, so there is no need to uncouple the locomotive except for maintenance.
Another old idea that has been touted as high-tech is hybrid locomotives. While I will say that Railpower has modernized the idea quite nicely and perhaps made it more practical, remember that the Alco/GE/Ingersoll Rand consortium built dual-powers and tri-powers for NYC, RI and DL&W in the 1930’s. Illinois Terminal had a home-built tri-power and North Shore 455-456 could run as straight electrics or from storage batteries.