WW&F Railway Museum Discussion > Work and Events

Coach 9 - Official Work Thread

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Keith Taylor:

--- Quote from: Graham Buxton on December 14, 2024, 10:29:54 PM ---I understand that uncoupling requires "slack" to be present (tension removed from the coupler by pushing the cars together) to allow the crewman to operate the cut lever or chain.

--- End quote ---
And that is also true for the standard knuckle (Janney type) coupler.

Keith

John Kokas:
I do not understand the reasoning of mixing coupling systems at this time.  As we expand and we gather new equipment it should be a "no brainer" that we need to acquire new/used Janey couplers for the acquisitions.  It is far better to bite the bullet and purchase a bunch of couplers so that we have spares and also have the ability to sell extras other operations as they need.  If this needs to be a special funding project, then IMHO the BOD needs to establish it this year.........

BTW - I believe that there is a sample 1/2 scale janey coupler still on display at the entrance office to McConway & Torley's mfg. plant in Kutztown, PA.  I can check it out if the powers to be decide to proceed.

Dante Lakin:
John, the way it's been described to me is that we're going to have attachments that slot over the Miller couplings to act as "half-automatic" knuckles. Think how 52's knuckles work, where you reach in to move/remove the pin. As well, the thought is to have lighter-weight knuckles, in case we need to split the train (think doubling the hill reenactments). From how I understand it, this whole system of knuckle adapters over the Millers is cheaper than sourcing (or building) full automatic couplers. Plus, it makes coaches 3 and 9 more original to 1894 standards ;)

Jason M Lamontagne:
John, in studying the Miller system we’ve come to understand the Miller “hook” was part of a much broader system called the “Miller Safety Platform,” which combined a series of platform trusses, body-in-line buffer and captured draft hook which significantly stiffened and strengthened coach platforms over predecessors.  We also realized that when converted to Janney, the Maine 2 foot cars had their Miller trusses hacked off.  W&Q 1,2 and 3 were built with Miller Safety Platforms and lost them.

We want to reconstruct the Miller system for a number of reasons- to achieve the proper safety platform, to construct coach 9 as coach 2 was built, and to use our unique circumstance as a captured railroad to demonstrate a working Miller system on a train set, as was common on Maine two-footers in the 1890s. 

The Janney adapters for the Miller heads are a concurrent development to ensure continued interchangeability.  However to at least some of us- the no-brainer is to not waste this opportunity to do right by the coach 9 historical reconstruction and coach 3 restoration by, in part, equipping them with proper Miller Safety Platforms.

Thanks
Jason

Gavin Dalessandro:
Are Miller couplers even still FRA legal?

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