Is there a special name for when a train car gets detached from the train accidentally?

Question

Is there a special name for when a train car gets detached from the train accidentally?

Answer 1

Getting a knuckle, broken Knuckle, drawbar!!!!

Answer 2

not really, its just derailed.

Answer 3

You have a "train separation" or a "break-in-two."  This can be the result of improper train handling or when the train goes into emergency (A "UDE", or undesired emergency application of the brakes), where ability to control slack-action is limited.

There can be a failed knuckle or, much worse, a broken draw bar, with the latter often winding up as a derailment.

I have seen extreme cases, including one where the entire end of the freight car got ripped off.  The forces at work in a moving train are usually found to be quite high, especially from an emergency application of the brakes.

Train separations occur daily, somewhere in the US, and most carriers investigate the causes of train separations, which usually occur as stated above.  But, an engineer who has a higher number of separations as compared to the rest will draw the attention of supervisors and, discipline can result along with or in addition to remedial training.

The engineer is cleared usually, if examination of the failed equipment shows that there was an "old break," that didn't fail completely when initially broken.  This is easily identifiable as there will be rust present where the crack occurred.

As far as railroad jargon goes, petero is right.  You "get a knuckle" or "get a draw bar" or, this is probably local jargon, you "lung one."  This refers to a broken draw bar.

Often times, when a train separates, it breaks into multiple pieces.  The record on "The Hill" was, and probably still is, held by an engineer named Bill Franklin, aka "Knuckle Buster" Franklin, where he got 5 knuckles all in one fell swoop.  He wasn't popular with trainmen

In the "good ol' days," hoggers would carry some pineapple juice with them.  Not for cocktails, but to pour on a fresh break.  In little time, it discolors the break and it appears as if it were on old break.  Handy, dandy trick #232.

Answer 4

derailed

Answer 5

Derailed? Refers to when a train comes off the tracks.  That is the only special name I can think of. :)

Answer 6

depends on how if happens for a car to uncouple this is a hands on thing i have never seen this happen or hear of it a person has to pull the coupling release handle no other way can be done so it can be called a number of sayings if it is going the opposite way it would be a runaway car still the rest of the train will stop when the air line parts

Answer 7

TOO much train-out forces. (seperated)

Answer 8

No, there isn't a universal name for that. Usually you'd refer to such an incident by its cause, which is most often a broken knuckle on a coupler. Some railroads have special codes you're supposed to use on the radio so that people listening to scanners won't know what exactly happened. I couldn't tell you what those are, though.

Answer 9

Usually this is caused by a broken knuckle. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. The knuckle is the moving and locking part of the coupler. Actually, the knuckles are designed to break. It is the weakest part of the freight cars frame and coupler system. It is better to have a knuckle fail, which is easily replaced, than to pull an entire coupler out of the car due to stress. Or damage the car's frame which can go unnoticed until a complete failure leads to a derailment. Back to the knuckle failure thing. When a train does break in two, a sudden change in the train's air pressure causes the entire train to automatically apply emergency brakes, and both halves of the train stop.

Answer 10

It's called de-coupling, as said in other post. In responseto Heide, when the brake hoses detach (Those couplers are called gladhands) or break the air brake unit ( ABU ) loses pressure and the spring loaded piston inside applies steady brake pressure to the beams holding the brake shoes to slow the train, this is different from emergency braking, which is applied by using reserve air pressure from the brake reservoirs on each rail car to bring the train to a stop by applying brakes on all cars evenly, which prevents de-railing.

Answer 11

This can usually not happen in reality, and if only in backward lands (of the 3rd world e.g.) where railway safety standart is very slow. Train brakes work with air pressure and if the pressure in the brake cylinders drops or gets depressurised the brakes will apply. If the brake cylinders are under pressure the brakes will come loose. Betwenn the coaches is apneumatic line to controll the brakes. So when a train gets detached it will cause an emergency breaking automatically. I think I've seen accidents like this in some western movies

Answer 12

its called a de-coupling....as long as it stays on the track