Re: Melbourne or General rail FAQ's

[Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>]

Mathew Klock <klocm@stbedes.melb.catholic.edu.au> said:

>Hi all,
>
>Maybe this is the best time to ask my question..
>
>Could someone please explain how they couple both the hitachi sets and
>comeng sets please - as in joining  2x 3 sets together

Comeng sets are joined using a Scharfenbourg (sic??) type coupler. These 
couplers are rectangular in appearance and have one hole, and one "lump". 
These two contraptions interface to form the coupling. There are also two 
smaller holes on the face of the coupler, which are presumably for the air 
brake lines. On each side of the coupler (left/right) there are two jumper 
units which rotate out when a coupling is made, to give electrical 
connection.[1]

Hitachi units are coupled using a simple knuckle type autocoupler. 
Electrical connections are made by a thick jumper cable (is this the same 
as an MU jumper cable on a Diesel?), and air lines are connected via the 
conventional black hoses / taps.

When coupling a Hitachi with a Comeng, a transition coupler is required. 
The transition coupler is connected manually to the Comeng's Scharfenbourg 
type coupler and provides a simple knuckle for the Hitachi auto coupler to 
couple to. Air line connections are are also provided to the standard hose 
type via this transition coupler. No electrical connection is made, AFAIK.

[1] On the Tangara in Sydney, the electrical jumper unit is located above 
the coupler as a single unit, but provides the same function.

You may be able to find more information on these coupling systems (and 
others) around on the web. Try the rail technical pages at trainweb.com for 
a start.

Regards

Michael

-- 
Michael Kurkowski. / Email: mailto:mk@netstra.com.au
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