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This article is from the Model Trains FAQ, by Christopher D Coleman with numerous contributions by others.

20 Collectable Model Trains: Cars: How are coupling and uncouplingdone?

Coupler designs and methods can be considered an entire field of
study on its own. The earliest systems used variations on the
simple loop and hook system. The problem was that the cars had to
be lifted off the track to be coupled. Following this most
companies turned to complex and sometimes unreliable latch
coupler. This usually involved a barbed latch and receptacle for
a latch on each coupler. The cars could be separated by
disengaging both latches at once, which usually proved
difficult. After WWII major makers switched to the prototypical
knuckle coupler. The prototype uses a pin above the coupler head
which, when lowered, locks into the rear of the knuckle inside
the coupler head.

                      #
                       #                   knuckle pin
                **  #   O        **  ####O   knuckle
                ** ### **        **     **
                *********        *********  coupler head
                  **O**            **O**   locking pin
                   ***              ***   drawbar
                   ***              ***
                  OPEN             CLOSED

The Lionel version, introduced in 1945, used a spring loaded
plunger in a cylinder within the knuckle head locking the rear of
the knuckle. The plunger is surrounded by a solenoid powered by a
sliding shoe contact. The sliding shoe contacts with a fourth
rail in special track sections, which when powered will energize
the solenoid pulling the plunger to release the knuckle. In the
early 1950's a revised knuckled which used a spring loaded pin
beneath the coupler head to work the same way as the prototype,
except inverted. This design, with a few changes, is still used
and is the standard on O gauge systems of many makes.

Flyer's, introduced in the early 50's, uses a bar inside the head
to lock the knuckle from the above, like the prototype, but the
bar extends below the head to a weight. When the weight is lifted
the knuckle is released. A special track section with a coil
powered lifting runner was used to lift the weight.

Marx continued to use their unique V shaped couplers well into
the 1960's when they switched to anon-operating knuckle coupler
which was smaller than and incompatible with Lionel's. Their V
type couplers had a downward barb on the left branch of the V and
a hole on the right. When the couplers engaged, both tilt
slightly such that the barb from each V pops into the hole of the
other. By manually tilting either V one could disengage both
barbs from both holes and release the cars. These couplers were
simple and economically made of a single piece of stamped steel,
and important consideration for thrifty Marx. They were
reasonably reliable and were later produced in plastic versions.

 

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• next: 21 Collectable Model Trains: Cars: How do Lionel UCS track sections work?

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