Coupling (railway) by country
Encyclopedia
Coupling by country generally list the main national system and exclude minor narrow gauge or industrial lines of short length. Modern EMU
or DMU
passenger vehicles are also excluded. Current couplings are not necessarily the same as historic couplings.
(junctions with Côte d'Ivoire)
( junctions with Burkina Faso )
for passenger cars: buffers and chain
for multiple units:Scharfenberg
India/Parkistan/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka:
Victoria/Brazil/Ireland:
Russia; Central Asia (before SA3):
Spain/Portugal:
Queensland:
Tasmania:
Talyllyn Railway
:
Senegal/Mail:
Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso:
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
or DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
passenger vehicles are also excluded. Current couplings are not necessarily the same as historic couplings.
Algeria
- standard gauge
- Buffers and screw and SA3SA3 couplerThe SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
- Buffers and screw and SA3
- narrow gauge
- Buffers and screw
Modern
- AARAssociation of American RailroadsThe Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...
Alliance with 10A contour
Original
- New South Wales SGStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
- English Buffers and chain - Victoria BGIrish gaugeIrish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
- English Buffers and chain - South Australia BGIrish gaugeIrish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
- English Buffers and chain - South Australia NGCape gaugeCape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
- Norwegian - Tasmania - NG - English Buffers and chain
- Queensland - NG - English Buffers and chain
- Western Australia NGCape gaugeCape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
- Norwegian - Commonwealth SGStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
- AAR
Freight
- All converted to AAR, except heritage vehicles.
Passenger
- AAR for locomotive hauled carriages, except some heritage vehicles, and some multiple units
- Scharfenberg for most multiple units
Brazil
- broad gaugeIrish gaugeIrish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
: AAR - metre gaugeMetre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
: CBC
Burkina Faso
(junctions with Côte d'Ivoire)- Buffers and screw
Chile
- Current freight and passenger - AAR
- New passenger service to Temuco (currently suspended - 2008) uses buffers and chain (ex Spanish railways stock, including locomotives)
Côte d'Ivoire
( junctions with Burkina Faso )- Buffers and screw chain
Ghana
- original - Chopper
- modern - AAR
India
- Broad gaugeBroad gaugeBroad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
- buffers and chain, being replaced by AARTightlock couplingTightlock coupling or titelok coupler is an Association of American Railroads tooth and toothbrush automatic coupler of which there are two types:...
couplers called Centre Buffer Coupler (CBC) . - Metre gaugeMetre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
- Norwegian/chopper which are called Jones.
Original
- Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
- for freight cars: unicoupler from Knorr-Bremse and SA3SA3 couplerThe SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
for passenger cars: buffers and chain
Modern
for locomotives: - willison type from LAF and side buffers for backwards compatibility.for multiple units:Scharfenberg
Original
- Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
- buffers and chain - Metre gaugeMetre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
- buffers and chain
Modern
- Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
- RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n SA3SA3 couplerThe SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
with buffers and chain still on locomotives.
Malawi
- BuckeyeBuckeye Steel CastingsBuckeye Steel Castings was a Columbus, Ohio steelmaker best known today for its longtime president, Samuel P. Bush, who was the grandfather of President George H.W. Bush and great-grandfather of President George W. Bush....
(AAR) same as southern Africa
Current
- All Multiple Units use the Scharfenberg coupler. Mechanically, these are all compatible (except on museum models), but electrical connections vary between train types.
- Passenger trains drawn by a locomotive use buffers and chain couplers. The exception to this are the double-decker DDM and DD-ARNS DD-ARNS DD-AR, full name dubbeldeksaggloregiomaterieel, were built by Talbot or De Dietrich and Adtranz between 1992 and 1998. They operate in the Netherlands. They are operated by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. This class is a type of coaching stock.-Bvs :...
trains. The connection between the carriages and between them and the locomotive (either class 1700NS Class 1700- Description :The Nederlandse Spoorwegen Class 1700 electric locomotives were built by Alsthom in 1990-1994. 81 of these locomotives, numbered 1701-1781, were built....
or mDDM) are buffers and chain, but between the trains are BSI automatic couplers. 1700 and mDDM locomotives therefore have a buffers and chain coupler on one end, and on the other end a BSI coupler, with above it, only the hook of a buffers and chain coupler. - Almost all freight stock is buffers and chain, with the exception to some heavy DBDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
owned ore trains, which are permanent combinations using a AK69e Unicoupler Willison-style coupler. During 2010, new multisystem locomotives will be uesd for this ore trains, which are equipped with compatible C-AKvC-AKvThe C-AKv coupler is a fully automatic center coupler for railway cars, which is designed as a replacement for the European buffers-and-chain coupler. Its profile is based on the Willison profile of the Russian SA3 coupler...
couplers. - All subway and light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
trains use Scharfenberg couplers, with the exception of the Sneltram Utrecht, which appears to use BSI-type couplers. - All tram systems (except museum trams) do not have couplers which are designed for normal use.
Standard gauge
- European/English Buffers and screw. AAR in some heavy-haul applications.
Narrow gauge
- Norwegian (aka chopper) where it was invented. See Setesdalsbanen
Original
- Buffers and chainCoupling (railway)A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
NGNGNG may be a name:* Ng, a Chinese surname NG may be a name:* Ng, a Chinese surname NG may be a name:* Ng, a Chinese surname (吳，伍，黄）* Ng Tung River in Hong KongIt may be an acronym:* Nanogram (ng)* nasogastric tube, a tube used to perform a medical procedure known as nasogastric intubation* National...
as per Europe for original stock
South Korea
- Link and pin (obsolete)
- Buffers and chain (obsolete)
- AAR
Sudan
- Centre Buffer Coupler
- Brake (railway)Brake (railway)Brakes are used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration or to keep them standing when parked. While the basic principle is familiar from road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be...
: Air
Togo
- Centre buffer and side chains. Some Norwegian couplers on cars imported from India.
Tunisia
- Standard gauge
- Buffers and screw
- Metre gauge
- Buffers and screw - closer together
Distance between buffers
Distance between buffers and height of buffers above rail tend to vary between systems. (Standard gauge) - Great Britain, etc.-
- Height: 3 foot
- Separation: 6 ft (1,829 mm) in Great Britain , 1750 millimetre elsewhere .
India/Parkistan/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Victoria/Brazil/Ireland:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Russia; Central Asia (before SA3):
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Spain/Portugal:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Queensland:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Tasmania:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Talyllyn Railway
Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain...
:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Senegal/Mail:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso:
-
- Height:
- Separation:
Nomenclature
Confusingly, couplers are often known by more than one name.- Alliance, AAR, Janney, knuckle, Centre Buffer Coupler (CBC), Buckeye.
- Norwegian, chopper
- Automatic Buffer Couplers (ABC)
- Buffers and screw
- Centre buffer and side chains
External links
- For a partial list of what railway uses which coupler see Jane's World Railways (subscription required)