Tintin Forums

Is, when Ivan & Muller disconnect the Loco from the rest of train whilst moving, actually possible?
I've seen this depicted in many a comic book over the years & always thought it would be impossible, unless maybe the train was on a downhill slope & there was no pressure on the coupling (which clearly isn't the case in Black Island).
What does everyone think & is this just one of the cases where Herge just used a bit of artistic/writer's licence to accomodate the plot?

Maybe muller actually cut the coupling somehow.

Let me explain.

The Train that Muller tried to detach uses either knuckle couplers or chain couplers but most mordern trains used knuckle couplers.

Muller may have

1. Use a rod to widen the locomotive coupler and made the coaches to loose grip of the loco coupler and eventually made the coupler snap or decouple safely.

2. Use his own hands to widen the locomotive coupler and break any power circuit connectors between the loco and the coaches because some major railroads including BR uses some of the loco engine power to supply power to the coaches for lighting etc....

Some railroads use power generator cars that is attached seperately but in this case, there are none.

So if Muller decouple the power connectors, the whole train will have no electricity unless there are one or more coaches that have an intergrated underfloor power generator to supply power for the train.

The Loco used in this scene is a Diesel-Electric Class 31 I think and the freight train that Tintin meets is hauled by a Warship Class 42 Locomotive. The Coaching Stock Used is Mk1 Coaches (SK, RMB, FK, TSO)

The train in question did not have knuckle couplers, but they were the British sort with buffers and a sort of a hook and link. I don't think that they use knuckle couplers in England, even now.

Well, I got a dispute with a fellow trainspotter about this question and he said some coaches use knuckle couplers. But since that's your case, the type of couplers you mentioned are chain couplers. But nowadays they don't use it. Sort of primitive in my case. Well, with relevance to BLack Island, this is the other train that was featured hauled by this locomotive.
https://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/pics/data/media/405/P1150623k.jpg
Pic courtesy of Konstantine Choo of KTM Raliway Fan Club

tintinspartan

Well, at any rate, I knew that the couplers on the train in question were not knuckle couplers. For one thing, you could plainly see the buffers, which do not occur on trains with knuckle couplers.