SHORT YOKE CONNECTION

The present invention relates to a railway car coupler arrangement whereby a standard yoke, follower, and draft gear are removed from the center sill and replaced with a short yoke member (30), a spacer block member (70) and slackless drawbar arrangement, namely, a pocket casting wedge shim (60), and follower (50), easily converting the coupler arrangement to a drawbar arrangement without modifying the center sill. The short yoke (30), spacer block (70) and slackless arrangement fit exactly within the space formerly occupied by the draft gear pocket casting. The drawbar arrangement maintains the same degrees of angling freedom as the coupler since the drawbar is connected and pivoted from the same pin location as when the coupler was installed. The short yoke member (30) is also designed to more uniformly distribute draft loads to the center sill by transferring forces from the connecting pin into the short yoke member, which in turn transfers those forces into abutting center sill front stops, left intact from the coupler arrangement. The present invention further provides a quick method for converting a broken coupler to a drawbar arrangement for towing back to a repair shop.