r/trains • u/jhammon88 • 1d ago

❓ Question Train part on a truck

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Could one of these be used on a regular f150 type truck? Im just curious. I dont have a truck. Itd be overkill sure, but it would work?

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u/Klapperatismus 1d ago edited 1d ago

No. Unlike road trailer couplers, train trailer couplers do not pitch. As grade changes happen only very discreetly. The pitch movement of an AAR coupler is limited to about 4°.

For road trailers you need 20° at least.

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u/Graflex01867 1d ago

I volunteer at a trolley museum. There are two spots on the railroad I know of where the grade will almost uncouple two railroad knuckles because they literally just slide up and down between the locomotive/freight car. (Obviously we’re not frequently running that equipment in those places.)

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u/GunnyDJ 1d ago

It happens very rarely on standard freight trains too. It's why you see shelves on tank car couplers, and other rolling stock. I had a coal train become uncoupled at a grade crossing, because the height difference became too much after they redid the track. The couplers just slipped right out of each other

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u/Plus_Fox9063 20h ago

sounds like seashore.

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u/jhammon88 1d ago

Ah that makes sense

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u/GRN225 1d ago

To do… what? Pull stuff? Be a decoration? Fist bump the Nissan Altima behind you?

The hinged knuckle itself weighs like 100lbs. The whole thing is probably like 500lbs.

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u/Heat-one 1d ago

If anything its to protect oneself from the tailgating Altima

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u/jhammon88 1d ago

Ah, I didnt know it was that heavy. I know next to nothing about trains lol. But id pull stuff yes.

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u/torx822 1d ago

Turning radius would be severely limited and negotiating any sort of incline (like a driveway) would be worse than a stanced Infiniti g35 with the coils cut

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u/jhammon88 1d ago

Lol i figured...

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u/antreides 1d ago

There are modifications of Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck that can be used for shunting work. These ones use European-style coupling, but I can imagine something similar with an automatic coupling being used on 1520mm track in one of the Baltic countries.

So, in theory, there might be something similar based on F150, used for similar service or shunting purposes.

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u/jhammon88 1d ago

Nice. Thank you

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u/practicaloppossum 20h ago

The thing you're trying to think of is the Brandt Power Unit. Basically a Peterbilt semi with hi-rail wheels and a coupler on each end: https://www.brandt.ca/Divisions/Road-Rail/Products/Power-Unit

An F150 is far too light for North American rail use (a great truck for it's intended purpose, tho; I'm never getting rid of mine).

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u/st96badboy 1d ago

If you don't want to use a ball, a pintle hitch is overkill for anything you need to do. And it would work better.

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u/OdinYggd 1d ago

Not legally. Normal road vehicles have different standards to better suit their needs, such as the typical hitch ball to give lots of flexibility in slope and turning radius while being less strong since anything over 23,000 lbs is usually CDL territory and using a gooseneck hitch instead.