Re: [NSW] Connections between suburban cars

[Michael Kurkowski <usenet.spam@gunzel.net>]

Hubert Lam <hubert@imap4.com> said:

>sometimes I see the black rubber tubes connected in between the 4th &
>5th cars (non-T/G sets) and sometimes I don't.
>
>What is in those black "tubes"? (apart from electrical connections-
>-duh!!!) 

Sounds possibly like the MU cable. This allows one four car set to control 
another four car set. Later, on the T and G sets, these were integrated 
into the accessory plug on the Scharfenburg coupler. Can't explain why 
you'll see them on some sets but not on others - other than location of the 
MU plugs? I believe any train/locomotive would have two sets of MU 
connections, one on each side, to allow either locomotive to face either 
direction - Only one set of plugs needs to be connected. e.g.

Diagram depicts top view of two coupled trains.

--------+   +--------------------
        O---O
        |   |
        |=S=|
        |   |
        O   O
--------+   +--------------------

Whereby, =S= is the autocoupler. O is the MU receptacle --- is the MU 
cable.

Michael.