Gladhand
A gladhand connector or gladhand coupler is an interlocking hose coupling fitted to hoses supplying pressurized air from a locomotive to railway air brakes on railroad cars. Mating rubber grommets provide a positive seal. Gladhand couplers are genderless or hermaphroditic, allowing them to be freely connected to each other, for example allowing either end of a railcar to be connected to the end of a train.
Description
Gladhands connected between two rail cars.
A prototype gladhand. Photo by Dave Sclavi.
Another full-size gladhand. Each square in the image is 1/2 inch. Photo by Dave Sclavi.
The air line casting at the top is from Railroad Warehouse. It is an old Railroad Supply part which I cut apart and adjusted as needed with 1/8 brass rod to achieve the correct spacing. The 1/8 45 degree angle castings are hard to find so I recycle them as well. Posted by Robert Williams on Chaski.org
From US Patent Application US20100237569 A1:
- In a conventional railroad train braking system, each railway vehicle is provided with a brake pipe line which extends along the length of the vehicle. The pipe line is connected to the brake cylinders via reservoirs and valves. Each end of the brake pipe is coupled to a “glad hand” connector by an angle or stop cock and a flexible hose. The glad hand connectors are fastened together to form a continuous pipe line stretching from the head locomotive to the last train car. Each flexible hose has a glad hand, acting as a coupling member, at each end for connecting the hose sections of adjacent cars together when joining additional individual railroad cars.
- Glad hands are joined by pulling the hoses from adjacent cars upward, pushing the sealing gaskets on the glad hands at the end of each hose into aligned and abutting relationship, and then rotating the coupling members downward which engages mating flanges and lugs extending from the coupling members. This coupling results in a sealed fluid passage between air hoses on adjacent railroad cars, which maintains the brakes of all of the individual cars in an “off” position. If there is a significant reduction in air pressure within the hose lines, such as in the case of separation of cars, the brakes move into the “on” position.
Suppliers-Functional
Chehalem Machine Works
John's new email address is soupac3907@gmail.com.
John Kelso wrote:
- The o-ring is retained with rubberized superglue. About once a year, put a tiny swipe of silicon lube on the o-ring.
Operating gladhands by John Kelso.
Kent Bolerjack
Working Gladhands, 1.5 inch scale, Kent Bolerjack. They are tested to 100 psi on air and 26" vacuum. Dimensions: 3/8 inch in diameter and about 5/8 inch long coupled. Order by emailing KentBB2@hotmail.com.
These gladhands were first described by Jack S. Edwards in Live Steam Magazine, November 1981. The article includes photos, drawings and dimensions.
Superscale
Gladhands for 2.5 inch scale, Superscale Locomotive Company
Shapeways
3D Printed Gladhands, 3-3/4 inch scale, Shapeways
Clippard
Clippart MQC-3S Quick Connect Assembly (not based on prototype)
Suppliers-Non-Functional
Despatch
1-inch scale Gladhand/Air Line Kit, Despatch Railroad Products LLC
Cannonball
Angle cock casting, 1.5 inch scale, Cannonball
The Train Department
Proto hands, 1:20.3 scale, The Train Department
Old Iron Designs
Old Iron Designs 1:20.3-scale air brake gladhands
Precision Steel Car
Gladhands and Anglecock valves
The Machinery Works
Gladhands and Anglecock valves