The JR "Shibata" Style Compact Train Coupler

I decided to put together a little animation to show how this common train coupler in Japan works. This variation on the Scharfenberg coupler was developed in the 1930s and remains in heavy use today on many passenger rail cars across Japan.
Edit: KZbin showed this video to 200k people while I was asleep, apparently. Some extra information for FAQ:
(1) All of the pivoting freedom is behind the coupler, under each car. This is different from other styles of couplers. Safer in my opinion.
(2) There is very little force required on the spring or vacuum cylinders to disconnect. Pull one handle and both will move together. It is just enough force to ensure they don't bounce apart on their own.
(3) I am happy to see all the comments in Japanese and Russian and other languages, all debating the value of this coupler and whether or not it reminds them of the Evangelion-themed 500 SERIES EVA shinkansen.
Here's a video demonstrating a real physical model: • 密着連結器の仕組み

[@TRASHGHOST666]

Me at almost 4am: Ah. Yes. Compact train coupler. Gotta watch.

[@mhd.zaidan]

its kinda interesting

[@mhd.zaidan]

@@Dredgen-Yor what

[@stevenmorphett7644]

Me at 6am thinking the same... then going well that was boring

[@gorgonzola7988]

03:50 am. Watching this.

[@evildoctorbluetooth]

How did you know

[@thenextarbiter]

Thank you KZbin, very cool!

[@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis]

literally my reaction lol

[@KangJangkrik]

Let me guess... USB 5.0 type D?

[@gadgetgasspoll2923]

Kntl

[@johnnymnemonic69]

😂😂😂

[@fisch37]

With USBs new naming conventions it would probably be USB 3.0 Gen 5 Million

[@MinutesB4Midnight]

Twice the speed of that "other" brand

[@mirum8726]

😂

[@viquezug3936]

I wish human coupling was this satisfying.

[@ScoutSniper3124]

Maybe you're just not doing it right...

[@renagenic]

Are you 'trying' with the same equipment though? That train couple is "1 inny" and "1 outy" of equal length, depth and girt.... Width. Both 'going in' and getting 'gone in' at the same time.... Thanks, now I hate this animation lol

[@cognisant307]

Praise be to the Omnissiah my toaster fucking friend.

[@TheSimon253]

*Video explaining a small train coupler exists* 1 million people: "interesting"

[@StopChangingUsernamesYouTube]

I don't know why I'm here, but I know why I'll be sketching a train coupler in CAD to forget about later.

[@georgew.5639]

Do you get lots of little train couplers nine months later? 😁

[@mynameisconman237]

@@arunmehta8756 da fuc

[@onelikeandidie]

Underrated comment

[@damonoodlelego3694]

@@arunmehta8756, all your getting is dislikes, dont do that.

[@spugintrntl]

The gestation period for train couplers is actually five months.

[@Boeing-dl1cs]

@@spugintrntl I thought it was 3 months😭

[@darkfrei2]

2018: no 2019: no 2020 until December: no 2020-12-26: see this pretty nice video how the train wagons couples!

[@KenFehling]

This information will be crucial later.

[@aknowleadge4787]

Something that was thought to be complicated but actually very simple

[@Dagrizzb]

The algorithm has united us once again.

[@theadventurebiker]

Yup. That darn, pesky algorithm. You never know what it's up to next....

[@CatzHoek]

Thanks for the recommendation youtube. Exactly what i always wanted

[@absolutearcher]

Yeah frfr

[@Mason58654]

Very impressive! I’m a train spotter, and this helped me learn much more about this common coupling used on Japan’s splendid railways! 🚃

[@falcoperegrinus82]

Thanks youtube algorithm, didn't know I needed this.

[@BurpleRX7]

I love reading the Facebook expert comments, Japan builds and operates one of the most efficient, punctual, fastest railway systems in the world, amidst intense heat, snow, typhoon and earthquake, If a train is deemed late certificates are issued to give to employers because it’s so unbelievable, and possibly a apology on the news, they also have a massive honour culture BUT little Johnny next door reckons that spring looks a little janky........

[@JessHull]

little johnny knows his springs, LOL

[@evo3s75]

little johnny also thinks that the coupler is too weak xDDD my god these armchair experts... And none of them think about why it's in use with the best public transport company in the world, or that the coupling could be made out of steel instead of clay

[@infy1938]

The algorithm has blessed this video

[@darkfrei2]

Yes! Look what I find for you!

[@ammonchristiansen4518]

This is knowledge my childhood self unwittingly needed

[@longsleevethong1457]

What have I done to my algorithm by watching this....??

[@Dynasty0921]

考えた人天才すぎる

[@santinodesimone3125]

Suddendly, this got recomended to everyone for some reason

[@yukiw7888]

Finally, I got a good recommendation.

[@lyxd781]

when all the comments are from 1-2 hours ago

[@Shahmane666]

But usually what happens is that the main character either shoots it or kicks it a few times and it breaks

[@vincentchou9212]

What a brilliant design! Simplify the structure and save materials!

[@Magnovi_]

Yes of course. Absolutely brilliant, why didn’t I think of this before? Compact train coupler, that’s what I want for ramadán.

[@captainchaos3667]

You win again, algorithm!

[@FlyingandRotating]

Get in the damn train, Shinji!

[@Clutched392]

this is going to blow up on everyone’s recommended I call it

[@tonysicily2687]

Genius, simple and very strong

[@miniwarrior7]

Seems like all the force is on the pivot at the center on the pulling side

[@alanwatts8239]

@@miniwarrior7 Yeah, that's the idea.

[@bowieinc]

Mesmerizing, watched over and over. Even angle and placement of handles on center halve spheres are connected so either side could be pulled releasing coupler.

[@JessHull]

in real life both have to be pulled at the same time by two people.

[@u1zha]

@@JessHull Huh? Why? In this video it certainly looks like one dude kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6HaoH2wp76Nh6c#t=1m38s

[@dawhandle]

OMG. YT is reading my mind now, cos I was just thinking about how couplers work yesterday! Spooky....

[@charlesafk2281]

American coupler are even cooler and Ingenious

[@alanwatts8239]

@@charlesafk2281 You can almost feel the need to exert superiority on this comment lmao.

[@No_Name_2604]

Thank you recommendations. Very cool.

[@Rafa.mudo.]

Welcome weary traveller, I see you've come across this mysterious mechanism yourself, take a sit for I too have no idea

[@akeem2983]

Nobody: KZbin robots: this thing is very important for you

[@Phoenix-zu6on]

cosmo? wanda? i know what i wanna do today!

[@jman036]

Thanks KZbin, very cool.

[@pulsar7632]

Actually an awesome mechanism though

[@Invincible_Sun]

My thoughts exactly

[@atomlib]

Couple the trains, Shinji.

[@user-kp5wz5sp6t]

これ考えた人天才過ぎです

[@robbiesonley]

はい、そうです

[@night_watch_fish]

サイクロンジョーカー…

[@user-cr4ei3ud5j]

技術屋からしたら普通なのかもだけど、固定されたかどうか棒で目視できるようにするのも地味に頭いい

[@MarimeGui]

What are you doing step coupler

[@Keanunotwick]

I don't even have a train

[@99arsenii]

Algorithm makes us all meet again

[@rinmixx]

What if we put our train couplers together? 😳

[@JasminUwU]

B-but we're both trains. 😳🫣

[@tmarritt]

Two year old .47 second video of a train coupler. The youtube algorithm has been really weird lately

[@artur6912]

4:45 in the morning on the porcelain throne and youtube be like: here's this random video.

[@HoshikawaHikari]

I’ve been there since 5, 18 now, always loved their trains, never figured out how the coupling worked~ Thanks for showing it~ XD

[@-NGC-6302-]

I would’ve loved to see this when I was about 8 Been wondering about train couplers for way too long

[@TranscendentACE]

Thanks youtube, you've once again gotten me to watch some completely unrelated video and actually enjoy it.

[@whitelionstudios1786]

thats clever AF. i like that design

[@gravesclayton3604]

Looks like a much safer coupler to operate than the knuckle-type here in the US. Way better than the suicidal chain & buffers on European cars, where a brakeman must step in between 2 cars to couple them! What is good about them is that increased load only make the coupling clasp tighter.

[@theminer3746]

I heard it is also a tighter couple, so practically no more slacking of the consist, no more jerk, no more coupler noise. Put electrical connectors and brake pipes on and bam, fully automatic coupler. Although I only saw this on passenger trains though, maybe it's more expensive or can't handle as much force therefore isn't suitable for freight train? I don't know

[@marioghioneto1275]

@@theminer3746 if I was to Make a guess, I’d say it can’t handle as much force, because it seems like the area of the semicircle that effectively takes the load if the other coupler is small

[@knuffelbaer1971]

@@theminer3746 Here in germany such automated couplers are in fact used for heavy freight trains, that seldom get uncoupled. But for the majority of "vanilla" trains, the chain and buffer coupling still is used.

[@knuffelbaer1971]

@@davidjacobs8558 i googled for them. They are the same as Scharfenberg couplers :-) More familiar term to me. But they are used only between two sets of consists, not between individual cars.

[@johnsmart964]

Thank you very much for this very interesting and informative video presentation which is very much appreciated by the people.

[@VoeViking]

I need to 3d print these.

[@Fyr365]

Ah I love engineering, such a simple yet elegant system and design.

[@kenzarezyarifin1076]

Once again, KZbin recommended something but fun to watch

[@Amigo1048]

Locks got them CycloneJoker color scheme

[@Anonymous-jp8jo]

*sound of Philip falling over*

[@vitsimies]

Why was this in my recommendations 2 years late :D

[@matthijsweststrate5552]

Because: KZbin

[@less5406]

Same here :)

[@internal_voice]

Brain: Are you sleeping? Me: Almost Brain: Do you know how train coupler built up?

[@babarimen]

A lot of 2 years old videos start popping out on my recommendations

[@LosFurros]

Thanks doc.

[@rowanprice3291]

Wanda and Cosmo, is that you?

[@ToasterWithFur]

KZbin be like: wanna see some fucking train couplers mate?

[@emet1271]

Nice!!! a shibata Compact train. idk what to do with all this information now. Thanks youtube .

[@gavinrichardson3918]

At what point did i divert from the new batman trailer to compact train couplings? Good design though! Simple yet affective!

[@dalezapple2493]

Ingenious invention

[@Brixxter]

YT algorithm is really weird these days but I'm not complaining

[@toba6919]

This just in everyones recommended huh

[@grzegorzbrzeczyszczykiewic536]

Thanks doc

[@johnlewtas6833]

i remember learning in high school that trains actually liked to couplers with a looser fit because it would help them overcome the massive inertia of a stationary train; that an engine pulling a loosely connected car would trigger an inertial chain reaction of pulling other loosely connected cars. the theory is that it’s much easier to move a single car than it was the entire train, so the momentum of each car it would help move the car behind it, then the whole thing would begin to roll, rather than having it all tightly coupled and having the engine pull all the cars at once. has something changed in the propulsion of trains that this is no longer required? or does this only work on shorter trains that aren’t miles long? anyone know?

[@kyletucker179]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slack_action#:~:text=Loose%20coupling%20is%20necessary%20to,one%20car%20at%20a%20time.

[@RickeyBowers]

I think that mechanism is separate to reduce wear on the coupler.

[@johnlewtas6833]

@@RickeyBowers ahh, okay. wonder what it looks like now. i’m used to seeing the coupler and the slack be one and the same.

[@marknelsonmovies6093]

Any modern passenger trainset will have more than enough power to start the entire train at once, and for the comfort of the passengers you want as little slack as possible. There will still need to be some movement to handle curves and changes in incline, but that will be in the mounting and not the coupling mechanism itself. Even with a standard 'Janney' coupler, the slack in the coupling itself is minimal, and most of the movement comes from where the coupler is mounted onto the car.

[@johnlewtas6833]

@@marknelsonmovies6093 gotcha. so the janney coupler is more for freight trains and such?

[@bebet1240]

How is this in my recomended

[@deadby15]

While you were sleepwalking last night you searched for it.

[@thondupandrugtsang]

I watched a lot of bullet train videos and always wondered how that thing held itself together. Thanks.

[@ataphelicopter5734]

Welcome to the _”Why is this in my recommended section”_ club

[@blakefuller5830]

They brought us here

[@haroldcochan3971]

We're already a beautiful couple!

[@Nat-jf2ge]

Nice design

[@notreallyokay9355]

I've stumbled upon the train fandom, I guess. Interesting seeing all this drama about train couplers. Anyways, it looks pretty cool to me, so that's nice.

These mechanisms are mesmerizing

[@ColinRain]

Why is this recommend to me in 2020 lmao

[@computernoise2209]

and that's where baby trains come from

[@dELTA13579111315]

From the thumbnail I thought this was going to be some kind of insane beyblade

[@whatbizarreactisthecaninep791]

this is the duplicate comment i finally found it

[@delta8785]

Wierd recommended but thats actually a really cool as concept.

[@nightrous3026]

all that force on such a small part

[@probably_afk]

that's what she said.

[@mr_gerber]

Oh, how small is The Part?

[@fevsea]

That's a remarkably small contact surface while on tension

[@crosshairs007]

That was my reaction. This seems great until put under load of any sort.

[@jamescerone]

@@crosshairs007you’d be surprised at how small the point of contact is on a normal coupler. It’s probably about the same. And it jerks around a lot more too

[@tompw3141]

It's greater than on a hook and chain :-)

[@HMSNeptun]

​​@@crosshairs007this coupler is used on commuter style lightweight EMU's, so it does not need to withstand the ridiculous kilometer-long-freight-train-pulling forces. JRF locomotives uses a coupler that more resembles a Jenny coupler instead

[@CantcerCause]

HEN-SHIN CYCLONE! JOKER! "Now, count up your sins!"

[@ZeroXSEED]

Thanks, doc.

[@abdc2990]

Merci Docteur!

[@delayed_control]

Dziękuję doktorze!

[@zacharyrollick6169]

I love it.

[@Fusselwurmify]

that's like… a simplified Scharfenberg. Love it.

[@macmccune21]

"(bullet train) rolling stock utilize a variation of the Shibata coupler developed in the 1960s which uses rotary tight-lock pins, and which coincidentally bears a closer resemblance to the Scharfenberg rather than the Shibata coupler." Never thought about it, thanks for the comment!

[@Evangelion543]

Perfect symmetry even their train couplers!

[@anousenic]

Yin Yang ☯️ coupler ^^

[@dELTA13579111315]

From the thumbnail I thought this was going to be some kind of insane beyblade Edit: a test. KZbin duplicated my comment, so I'm editing the duplicate to see if it somehow changes the original. It doesn't appear to.

[@HAWXLEADER]

KZbin also sometimes shows your name on the wrong comment in the wrong video...

[@EliWSeiei]

Mmm algorithm

[@1ucasvb]

Such a clever design.

[@mofo78536]

Ah, nice thing about this mechanism is you can use levers either side to disconnect.

[@roiq5263]

More like you need a man on each side.

[@dakktussombrero9605]

Quite an interesting experience.

[@TranslinkOnRoblox]

The inner surfaces slide on each other until they form a circle together

[@yaboosnubs]

I need this in my life

[@namenana]

わかりやすい

[@lyx9390]

Ah yes... now I remember how hydraulics work... The whole piston just scales😂🙈

[@ed_halley]

It's not hydraulics, it's a simplification of a spring.

[@lyx9390]

@@ed_halley a hydraulic spring? Cuz I don’t think you would use a plain Metal spring for coupling trains... It would wear out, wouldn’t it?

[@vritra3684]

@@lyx9390 it doesn't need to be a heavy spring, it's just there to prevent the mechanism from shaking itself open. Springs also last a long time if properly sized.

[@Invincible_Sun]

@@ed_halley It actually is a hydraulic gas spring 🤦

[@RelightLowlight]

HariEdo: uploads something 1M people: "hmmm, yes, interesting"

[@stormingtears3013]

Really impressed bout it being so simple. How much force to disconnect?

[@godofobelix]

Very satisfying , my OCD is pleased