OK - moving older equipment around is getting to be a real pain - more than it was before. NS now wants alignment control couplers and the inspector that came out to look at our F7B unit wasn't sure if the factory stock EMD arrangement qualified. It is a centering type of draft gear but not the same as what they apparently want today.
Anyone have any experience or heard of any way of retrofitting an F unit to have alignment control couplers? And no the temporary insertion of blocks on either side of the coupler shank is no longer acceptable.
Rich

Rich,
Perhaps this arrangement can be applied to older locomotives, would probably take some modification.
http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/sho ... hp?t=28254
I believe the coupler is now being produced by McConway-Torely
Mike Tillger

That's interesting since they still move all of their butt-heads with rubber blocks...

Well I will have an answer in the next week or 2. I have to move a half dozen locomotives over NS that do no have 390/391 draft gear.
I do have a set of those couplers with the blocks. They have been accepted elsewhere on NS but I've been told it depends on inspector. It throws them for a loop due to the fact it is not "common". In theory it should work the same as the 390/391 in that when the train goes into "buff" it should force the coupler into alignment. We will see here shortly.
If not we will continue to install 390/391 pockets and gears.
Another funny note is listening the industries complain when it arrives with alignment control and starts to derail long mill gons due to the lack of pivot for tighter curves.
railroads say nonalignment causes derailments (only one big case to prove it) so they make industry take it where it has caused hundreds of derailments. Proper train handling on the main line would prevent it but there is nothing you can do on tight track except pull the couplers.
Jack