> On passenger cars, what is the vertical
> metal plate that surrounds the end door and
> acts as a buffer between connected cars. It
> has a bellows connected between it and the
> car body. What is that whole unit called?

You are probably asking about the diaphram face plate.
Don C.

old_fxrs@msn.com

The whole thing is called a diaphragm; the metal part is the face plate. The face plates from coupled cars slide against each other. Current cars have rubber diaphragms that resemble grain hoses.

They do not serve as buffers between the cars; passenger cars heve actual buffers at floor level.

The purpose of the diaphragm is to keep the weather off passengers walking between cars.

The Electric City Trolley Museum Association

I suspect the tube diaphrams are more effective than the "accordian" type diaphrams. There also appears to be less hardware and much simpler construction. Am I right? Who manufactures these nowadays?

God Bless,
Gerald Kopiasz

> The whole thing is called a diaphragm; the
> metal part is the face plate. The face
> plates from coupled cars slide against each
> other. Current cars have rubber diaphragms
> that resemble grain hoses.

> They do not serve as buffers between the
> cars; passenger cars heve actual buffers at
> floor level.

> The purpose of the diaphragm is to keep the
> weather off passengers walking between cars.


hrrhs@aol.com

> I suspect the tube diaphrams are more
> effective than the "accordian"
> type diaphrams. There also appears to be
> less hardware and much simpler construction.
> Am I right? Who manufactures these nowadays?

> God Bless,
> Gerald Kopiasz
We at San Diego Railroad Museum at about 15 years created a diaphragm by use 6" heavy rubber hose of a old fire truck ect with a standard plate to match the other cars.

It is still work.


owenpaulsen@att.net

You can getused grocery store checkout conveyor belts and tube them as well. This stuff also can replace rotted canvas in standard diaphragms.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net