Great Western Locomotive Works Mogul pulling freight

I would love to see this line totally resurrected!!!

When, roughly, did knuckle couplers replace link-n-pin?

@Arthur P. Bloom posted:

When, roughly, did knuckle couplers replace link-n-pin?

The Janney coupler was patented in 1873, so by the late 1870s, what we call "knuckle couplers" began widespread use on U.S. railroads.

Thank you, sir.

That was cool, thanks, Carey!

Peter

Very interesting.  I too would like this mogul resurrected.

@Hot Water posted:

The Janney coupler was patented in 1873, so by the late 1870s, what we call "knuckle couplers" began widespread use on U.S. railroads.

It is slightly more complicated than that.  The Railroad Safety Appliance Act was passed in 1893.  Among other things it mandated that after January 1, 1898 it was unlawful for a railroad engaged in interstate commerce to haul or use cars that were not equipped with couplers that coupled automatically by impact, or that could not be uncoupled without a man going between the ends of the cars.  Before this it was up to each individual railroad.

The use of Janney style couplers that had knuckles drilled and slotted so they could be used to connect with link and pin cars should be a clue that link and pin cars were in common use for some time after the development of the Janney coupler.  I've read that one reason the major railroads went along with the Janney style coupler was that by the 1890s the patents had expired and there were a number of different automatic couplers made by different companies that could be used with Janneys.  For passenger cars in the late 19th century Janney couplers and the old link and pin were also competing with the Miller hook couplers that were part of the Miller platform system.