brozma wrote: ↑16 Feb 2022, 15:27
Ooooh.... So the text on the couples warns the driver or station personnel to check if the "coupling hook" (that's how I would translate "Koppeloog") is retracted inside the coupler before coupling units together.
Also, ICM, MG2 and SG2 aren't the only rolling stock equipped with Scharfenberg coupler. In Czechia, ČD class 451 (Nicknamed: Pantograph, Frogmouth) and ČD class 471 City Elephant (Nicknamed: Elephant, Mess tin ["Ešus" in Czech]) units have Scharfenberg couplers as well. Although ČD class 471 also has a hook for chain coupling, used in 2 cases. 1st case: The unit is defective and needs to be towed into depot by loco for fixing. 2nd: The unit has to go through sections of the track, which aren't electrified or are electrified with unsuitable voltage system (ČD class 471 is meant to be powered by 3kV DC. In Czechia, two voltage systems are used on railways: 3kV DC and 25kV 50Hz AC). In that case the unit has to be coupled to diesel loco (in case of unelectrified section) or to electric loco meant for the voltage system used in that section (in case of section electrified with unsuitable voltage system). AFAIK, ČD class 451 hasn't chain coupling hook and towing loco had to equipped with Scharfenberg adaptor in order to couple with it.
In Prague metro, all rolling stock (Ezh3 [historic], 81-717 [historic], 81-717M and Siemens M1) have Scharfenberg couplers, these are used on 81-717M and Siemens M1 primarily to tow defective train to depot or shunt it around in depot. On Ezh3 and 81-717 these couplers could be also used for shortening or extending the train.
Most Prague trams don't have Scharfenberg couplers. They have rod couplers either retractable (Skoda 14T, Skoda 15T) or fixed (Tatra T3, Tatra KT8D5). The only exception is Tatra T6A5, which has Sechéron coupler. Sechéron coupler is very similar to Scharfenberg coupler, but it's narrower and is able to transfer traction power between trams. That also explains, if you saw a picture of two Tatra T6A5 trams coupled into pair, why the rear tram has it's panto dropped down. That's because the rear tram is powered from the front tram, so rear tram having panto lifted up is pointless (although if the power transfer was malfunctioning, the panto could be lifted up on the rear tram, but that was used as a emergency setup to get to the depot ASAP).
Also, about translation from Dutch. If I see a text in Dutch, I am trying to translate it by comparing the Dutch words to it's (possible) English or German equivalents. This is because some Dutch words looks or sounds similar to some English or German words (Dutch closer to German IMHO). In some cases, it works. For example, when I tried to translate the nickname of NS ICM "Koplopper" I immediately saw similarities with 2 German words "der Kopf" (Head) and "das Loch" (Hole) so I divided that conjunction and processed it like this:
"Koplopper" -> "Kop"-"Lopper"
"Kop" - "der Kopf" (Head)
"Lopper" -> "Loppe" -> "das Loch" (Hole)
I put it together and I got: "Headhole"
Although this translation might be wrong, I think, it's possibly most accurate I could think of.
Sadly in the case of that text on coupler, this method didn't help me. I tried to use it, but I couldn't find any good equivalent and gave up.
