Why the European Trains Need Buffers

Oops.

Engine not useful today.

I never knew they are called buffers.

I asked a friend in England to bring me a few PECO bumping posts. He could not find any and asked what I wanted; I described to him and he said "Oh, you mean a buffer stop.".

They need buffers because they chain their cars together and the free slack of the chains would allow the cars to crash into each other in normal train operation. In the 1890s in the US the government required the railroads go to a coupling system that does nor require a man get in between the cars to couple them together. The railroads response to this was the knuckle coupler. The knuckle coupler allows the draft gear ( cushioning device ) be placed behind the coupler under the car. This made buffers for US railroading unnecessary.  

"That'll do. Bring 'em to an easy stop."

LOL!  

@David Johnston posted:

They need buffers because they chain their cars together and the free slack of the chains would allow the cars to crash into each other in normal train operation. In the 1890s in the US the government required the railroads go to a coupling system that does nor require a man get in between the cars to couple them together. The railroads response to this was the knuckle coupler. The knuckle coupler allows the draft gear ( cushioning device ) be placed behind the coupler under the car. This made buffers for US railroading unnecessary.  

One small comment, the railroads didn't invent the knuckle coupler, the Janney coupler was out there quite a while before the 1890 law that mandated air brakes and safety couplers, same with the air brake.

More buffers "in action"!!!

Not sure if I would call it funny!!!

Jim

My experience with lots of LGB made me aware of both center mounted and side by side twin buffers. Many 750mm and meter gauge lines generally used the single center buffers, while the larger "standard" gauge railways employed the dual buffers.

My PICO Deutsche Reichsbahn BR-24 has twin buffers as well as my three PICO bier kuhl wagens (reefers) that I run behind it.

The buffers on cars have a spring in them so they have a bit of 'give'. The coupling between cars on a train can be adjusted / tightened so the buffers are touching. With the buffers touching, it basically eliminates slack action in the train.

I believe on UK trains, a train where the buffers aren't touching so there is slack action is referred to as being "loose coupled".

After looking at that video, the Europeans are NUTS!  What would possess anyone to want to get between traincars like that to couple them!  They'd have to pay me way more money than I imagine they're shelling out for me to even consider doing that!

Well, that's one way to check your water level...

Uh, after further review, the call on the ice stands:  "NO".

George

I have seen men standing between European cars to couple them many times as shown in the video.  I always thought the practice is crazy.  All the couplings that I saw were much more gentle.  

One area where buffers work really well is with helper engines.  The helper engine just pushes against the buffer on the last car without coupling.  The helper slows down when it is no longer needed and the train goes on its way.  Stopping to uncouple the helper is not needed.  NH Joe