Rail

Draft Gear

Outside of Western Europe the majority of freight vehicles are equipped with knuckle couplers rather than hooks, screwcouplers and buffers. While this system offers strong coupling between vehicles it provides little impact protection,particularly during train formation, and does not protect the freight from snatch forces when the train is running. Each coupler normally incorporates an energy absorption unit known as a draft gear. The majority of draft gears are equipped with steel springs, or rubber, combined with friction wedges to absorb and dissipate the energy.

The conventional draft gear is not an efficient absorber of energy and although it is large and heavy it only absorbs a small amount of energy 83kJ. Oleo has developed a hydraulic draft gear which offers 407kJ which is almost five times the energy absorption capability of a conventional draft gear.

This product has been tested by the AAR and conforms to the AAR 901-K specification.

• Capsule type: Gas Hydraulic

• Dynamic capacity: 350kJ