Order of doing things when joining/dividing trains

[Ken H]

In the past I used to love watching the shunter doing his stuff between rail vehicles.
But he seemed to be quite methodical.
Was the order of doing things laid down?

Things I saw them do
Adjust the side buffers. Out for screw coupling, in for buckeye
Lift/drop the buckeye
Remove tail lamps and place on platform
When the vehicles had been shunted together

open the cocks on the air brake so the train could not go anywhere or take the vacuum pipe off the 'blank'
Put the screw coupling on and tighten it if not buckeye
ETH jumper
Steam heat pipe
RCH lighting control jumper
MU jumpers
Last, connect the air brake and reservoir or vacuum brake

Dividing trains was the reverse except
The buckeye would need uncoupling (how as that done?)
If a screw coupling he would disconnect the brakes, but close the cock on the loco. The loco would then compress the buffers and that would allow the screw coupling to be easily undone
Attach tail lamps as appropriate.


Have I got that right and have I got the jargon right?

 

[tpjm]

Whilst I’m not an expert in the “generic” approach to be taken, it is certainly mandated by some operators as to how it should specifically be carried out.

Take a look on the RAIB website for the report on the Caledonian Sleeper service that went sailing through Edinburgh in 2019 with only a loco brake available - that was due to to the operative not following the precise order of the method of work and inadequate controls to validate the success.

 

[Gloster]

I had little to do with coupling and uncoupling, but had one thing was dinned into me in case I ever had to: break the vacuum first and make it last. (It shows how long ago this was that I use the word vacuum.)

 

[zuriblue]

This came up on my feed some time ago. It's a bit old but things haven't really changed

 

[Ken H]

This came up on my feed some time ago. It's a bit old but things haven't really changed

Very nice. Thanks
lifting the buckeye and handling the screw coupler looked heavy work.

 

[LowLevel]

If you follow the same process it a) creates a safe space for you by making it different to move the train with you under it and b) reduces the chance of forgetting things. It also means you do stuff in a logical order space wise, it is rather cramped under dual braked dual heated corridor fitted coaches when coupling!

Buckeyes are heavy and awkward, especially those fitted with the lower shelf bracket.

Screw couplers are still heavy but you can swing them easily enough provided they're well lubricated.

You also have to bear in mind that with older passenger vehicles everything is likely to be covered in human waste from dump toilets and the smell is horrific, something not appreciated until you're there..

It is something that practice makes perfect and takes a bit of getting used to. Vacuum pipes in particular can be twisted which makes life difficult.

 

[matchmaker]

Don't forget removing gangway shields if fitted. On stock with suspended gangways (ex GWR/LMS & 1st gen DMUs) you have to clip the gangways together.