CHAOS Report #8 - Interlocking Couplers - May 7, 2013

Mechanical Liaison Officer's report by: Paul L. DeVerter II

Although the topic (interlocking couplers) does not refer to an incident involving a private car, I will remind you that Amtrak SMP 28603, section 12.18, requires Amtrak certified private cars to be equipped with interlocking (which we popularly call Tightlock) type H, CS or F couplers.

VIA Rail Canada train 693, while en-route from Winnipeg to Churchill, encountered a washout on CN in the vicinity of the hamlet of Togo, Saskatchewan, at about 6 pm on Sunday, April 26, 2013. The washout was attributed to runoff of rainwater.

The photos below show coach 8133 suspended over the washout. It is held in place by the interlocking couplers at each end of the car. One thing that is not readily apparent is how the locomotive(s) and the first car crossed this piece of track. It may well be that the train passed over and then the earth began to give way, we simply do not know.

News media reported that the 7 passengers and 5 crew on the train sustained only minor injuries - scratches and bruises. We have to give due credit to those interlocking couplers for playing their part in keeping the consist together and upright, which surely helped to minimize injuries, and to minimize damage to the equipment.

Photo 1 is courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We thank Clark Johnson for alerting us to this incident and for forwarding photos 2 through 4.