The train thieves have planned this for a while, and the guy in charge of the actual uncoupling was put in charge of it because he's an engineer and knows what he's doing. Would a clamp on the hose take care of the brakes going on the main part of the train? He would have come prepared, and could put the clamp on before uncoupling.
I'm not so worried about the end cars braking; they're going to head down to the caboose and shoot the guy in there (would there be more than one in a WWII era train?) so he doesn't radio back that there's trouble. Then, they have a locomotive ready to pick up the cars, waiting on a second track past a fork up ahead - the lady ordering this heist is filty rich - the car contents are too valuable to divert via paperwork, but she can arrange for the locomotive to be there ready to pick them up. The automatic train detectors seem to be a more modern thing - it doesn't look like there would be anything like that in WWII era tracks, but I could be wrong - if I am, I can just say this world hasn't come up with them.
Up ahead there will be a team on the ground ready to throw the switch on the changers so the locomotive can get onto the main track and pick up the cars, hopefully without the main train knowing they're gone, so I'd like to be able to use the couplers again with the second locomotive and avoid having to use explosives.
I don't know if you're aware of it, but you've just described an episode of an old TV show called "Bannecek" which starred George Pepard as an insurance investigator. He's more well known for being Hannibal on "The A-Team". I know it's fiction, but if you can find the episode, it may be helpful to you, to watch what you've just described. -- Dagonell
It's surprising how early the railway technology was invented, but different companies took it up at different rates so your line doesn't have to have detection circuits, though they were invented in America in 1872.
As far as the brakes are concerned, as long as the pressure in the brake line doesn't change (it's either a vacuum or high pressure, both have been used at different times and places) then you're OK. I think this is one of those things that you can handwave, you don't need to go into detail about how it was done, but it shows you've done your research.
For handwaving the disconnection of the couplings, have it happening on a slight downhill so there's no tension on the couplings. The lack of tension will be the crucial point, the details can be hidden in complaints from the one doing it about having to work from above when he's used to standing on solid ground alongside the coupling.
Ah, that's really helpful, thanks! I can definitely have them timing it so that they're doing it going down hill, that's the sort of details that will help make it convincing. I saw one video where the train was being uncoupled, and there was a guy on either side working a lever, but I couldn't see what the lever was doing. As far as I can tell, there seems to be a pin that falls into place on it's own when the two cars come together, but I'm not sure if it's as simple as lifting that pin.
I'm not so worried about the end cars braking; they're going to head down to the caboose and shoot the guy in there (would there be more than one in a WWII era train?) so he doesn't radio back that there's trouble. Then, they have a locomotive ready to pick up the cars, waiting on a second track past a fork up ahead - the lady ordering this heist is filty rich - the car contents are too valuable to divert via paperwork, but she can arrange for the locomotive to be there ready to pick them up. The automatic train detectors seem to be a more modern thing - it doesn't look like there would be anything like that in WWII era tracks, but I could be wrong - if I am, I can just say this world hasn't come up with them.
Up ahead there will be a team on the ground ready to throw the switch on the changers so the locomotive can get onto the main track and pick up the cars, hopefully without the main train knowing they're gone, so I'd like to be able to use the couplers again with the second locomotive and avoid having to use explosives.
Thanks for your input. :)
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As far as the brakes are concerned, as long as the pressure in the brake line doesn't change (it's either a vacuum or high pressure, both have been used at different times and places) then you're OK. I think this is one of those things that you can handwave, you don't need to go into detail about how it was done, but it shows you've done your research.
For handwaving the disconnection of the couplings, have it happening on a slight downhill so there's no tension on the couplings. The lack of tension will be the crucial point, the details can be hidden in complaints from the one doing it about having to work from above when he's used to standing on solid ground alongside the coupling.
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