Why they invented knuckle couplers...

This guy is lucky to be alive.

They do that dozens of times a day all over Europe. 

Um...knuckle couplers kill people to...

Timing is everything in life.

Cannot believe the coupling speed and trainman in the coupling pocket between the buffers, definitely no margin for error. 

Yikes! The USA did well to mandate automatic couplers and air brakes so many years ago. 

I saw this occur many times in Switzerland with passenger trains.  The only difference is that the person didn't get between the cars until the buffers were pushed together and the train had stopped.  

I think it is a very dangerous practice and I wouldn't do it.  However, I suppose there there aren't very many people injured or killed every year or they wouldn't do it.  I think that this is the most common coupling system in the world except for the USA and the rest of North America and countries such as Mexico where they use USA designed equipment.

Joe

This wasn't a case of being inattentive.  This was a case of being stupid.  Wouldn't have been so funny to his buddy if he tripped.

"Telephone Herr Macho Man, it's Dr. Darwin..."

Rusty

If those were knuckle couplers ..........

...He'd probably be anywhere but in between those cars.

That's how my great uncle died. 2 months after retirement, called back to work.

He was coupled up in a Pennsy switcher that he worked on for many years... 

The family was called down to the yard,and they had 2 hours to say good-bye.

Sometimes we take safety for granted, but it definitely has saved allot of workers lives.

If that guy would have fallen, he could have been toast.

>> I think that this is the most common coupling system in the world except for the USA and the rest of North America and countries such as Mexico where they use USA designed equipment.

Well, I think knuckles are used in China, South Africa and Australia.  Russia?

How in the world do you even get candidates to fill that job opening?