Couplers

[Dan05979]

Hey guys, any of you know how the subway car's coupler work? For example when the train operator applies brake pressure, how is that action recognized to each of the other cars coupled to the set? Same thing with acceleration and opening and closing doors and ect ect.

[INDman]

Electrical signals go through the electrical portion which end signals to the equipment on each car. There is a train line air system which is also part of the coupler, which if broken, it activates the emergency brakes. Every pin in the electrical portion sends signals on a 37 volt power supply. These are systems such as door control, PA/IC, lighting control, etc. 600 VDC is not train lined, but control signals for those systems are.

[Dan05979]

Thats some mechanical creation there. So the electric current activates a brake chamber to apply braking pressure according to how the t/o is applying it?

[SubwayGuy]

To add to the above, that's an R110B coupler electric portion which IND used in his photo because you can see the pins.

 

When a car is uncoupled, the electric portion is retracted and the pins protected by a cover. When the coupling is made, the cover slides back and the electric portion is advanced forward slightly to connect to the electric portion on the car being coupled.

 

Coupler electric portions are a reason "new SMEE" cars like the R68 are not compatible with earlier SMEE cars like the R32. The R68 portions have a 4th row of pins while the R32/38/40/42 portions do not. The portions must match each other identically to couple up.

[SubwayGuy]

Thats some mechanical creation there. So the electric current activates a brake chamber to apply braking pressure according to how the t/o is applying it?

 

Sort of. On a SMEE car (R10-R68A) or AMUE car (R1-R9, LoV, A/B, D) with electric brake plug cut in, a brake request is trainlined at low voltage throughout the train, which causes the brakes to all apply uniformly and at the same time.

 

To answer the second part of your question (the "brake chamber" part), the specifics of what happens after the electrical "apply" signal is received by the subway car vary depending on the car type.

[INDman]

Also, the shutter that cover the electrical portion must be closed at both ends of the train or the T/O will not get indication. On Arnines, this wis not needed since you can move a train or car with the shutter down and side doors open with any sepcial prcedure. On SMEE cars, to move a train without dindication, the bypass button must be depressed everytime you take power.