August 2015. We were watching the CSX come into the triangle and heard a loud boom and noticed the train was split after the 4th hopper car. I got closer to record it. Once in a lifetime event.
Those knuckles just let go, usually in the most isolated and difficult area. Knuckles take a beating and they crack then fail at some point. [BNSF Engr, retired]
Sound like cute little kids lol photo pretty good job doing it though probably child prodigies anyway. By the way if you want to run a locomotive come out my way I operate a couple and a steam locomotive
I wish I had the help of track workers when I get a knuckle.They had torches and all the convenience of the road .Only 5 cars back wow!Try carrying a 50lb knuckle 85 cars back in the middle of nowhere in pitch black darkness! Oh yeah you have a hammer and a chisel for your tools.
I can tell you that changing a knuckle in the middle of a swamp with nobody around to help is a royal pain. At 2:06, there's a nice big rusty spot on the inside of the knuckle pin, just above half way. There's your cause.
You don't know what you are talking about or you just don't know what you are doing. The coupler is a pretty simple mechanism. It has a knuckle, a lock, & a "pin" (the long shaft that secures the knuckle to the coupler). One coupler was tilted down on one of the cars while the other one was more horizontal. The guy coupling the hoses did not know what he was doing either. Unbelievable & sad to see. That's why they don't want to pay railroad mechanics too much money.
If I am understanding the question properly you want to know why there are 3 lights on the signal not 2 light . that would be because it is a that controls movement on a track that has a switch. If there are only 2 lights then there is no switch.
One question.. does the conductor get the coupler from the train or does a truck take it out to them ... if the conductor does get the coupler from the train does he carry it all the way to the end ?
Does anyone know how many pounds a coupler (knuckle) weighs??? Obviously it must be heavy, as it must pull thousands of pounds of railcars, and the contents!! I've always liked freight trains because of all the weight they pull!
In the old days, drop it on the ground at the locomotive and pull the train ahead to the last car. If the broken knuckle is on the trailing car, set the knuckle on the last car and back the train up to the broken car.
i know this is WAY WAY late but... coal gondolas all have those cotter pins in the couplers, they bend them so the knuckle pins don't fall out when the car is rotary dumped at the power plant
Nice piece of industrial history in the background, any history about the building? Good film, pity about those rude older guys. just no manners or sense of fairness.
The old toimers were embarrassingly rude to youu. Shame on them but you stood your ground they should be ashamed of themselves Good luck you have a great future ahsad of you. Be prohd of your good work .Bravo !
this happens all the time it is a common job for a brake man aka conductor. knuckles always brake and why the Loco carries extras and your test includes for brake man carrying a knuckle across set distance to see if you can carry it handle it and then repair it. it is actually a simple process 99 percent of time but not for the unfit.
