RAILWAY AGE SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Improved train dynamics, ease of retrofits, lower maintenance costs, increased safety: All these figure into draft gear and cushioning device developments.
In-train forces—buff and draft—can literally make or break safe train operation if not properly controlled. Among the critical components are draft gears and end-of-car cushioning units from such suppliers as Amsted Rail, Miner Enterprises and Strato, Inc. These components need to be capable of managing thousands of tons of force. Following is a roundup of offerings from these suppliers.
AMSTED RAIL
Amsted Rail Active Draft Cushioning Unit
“Amsted Rail’s Active Draft Cushioning Units are designed to provide railcar draft shock protection from in-train forces caused by changes in speed and topography in a moving train,” Director Engineering John Deppen and Vice President Global Engineering explained to Railway Age. “Our Active Draft Cushioning Unit employs internal polymer pads that maintain a neutral piston position that allows for draft travel, absorbing draft shock energy through both hysteretic and hydraulic damping. Without this provision, the neutral piston position in conventional cushioning units is in a fully extended mode with no available draft travel, which can result in metal-to-metal contact (yoke-to-railcar draft lugs) and thus significant draft shock forces.
“As the draft travel from the neutral position is relatively short, typically 1.00 inch and up to 2.00 inches, active draft cushioning units are still able to effectively protect the railcar and its sensitive lading against without compromising buff shock performance. Voluminous testing and simulation work performed by both the AAR Research Committee/MxV Rail and industry participants over the past several years have validated the performance of active draft cushioning units, including the necessary draft travel.
“AAR specifications M-921E (autoracks) and M-921F (general service railcars) define the requirements for active draft cushioning, which still maintain the 50,000-pound and 100,000-pound hydraulic lock preloads, respectively. While the specifications have been in place for many years, the AAR recently decided to mandate active draft cushioning unit applications in new railcars effective Jan. 01, 2026. The Cushioning Unit Manufacturers Engineering Committee (CUMEC) is currently reviewing the viability of upgrading reconditioned and aftermarket units to active draft standards, as there are many different configurations, as can be seen in Rule 59 of the Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules. This will help the AAR determine a potential timeline for requiring those units to be converted to active draft type cushioning, as many of them are becoming obsolete.
“This implementation of active draft cushioning units is critical to improving the reliability and efficiency of train operations, as enhanced draft shock protection will reduce stresses and load cycles in railcar draft components, particularly the coupler knuckle. Increasing train length, trailing tonnage and operating speeds demand more from the running gear, so this is a step in the right direction to extend component life, help reduce line-of-road failures and get sensitive lading to its destination damage-free.”
MINER ENTERPRISES
“Often with hydraulic-based systems, energy is not efficiently managed. Short life cycles lead to costly maintenance; and assets are not sufficiently protected when broken knuckles, hose separations and lading shifts interrupt operations,” says Miner Enterprises, which, with nearly 130 years of experience in railcar equipment design, is “one of the industry’s top suppliers of draft gears, brake beams, gates, constant-contact side bearings and other high-performance components.”
Introduced in 2018, the Miner FCS® (Friction Cushioning System), the company says, is designed to “raise the standard of protection currently being provided by traditional hydraulic cushioning devices. FCS® units utilize Miner’s proven draft gear technology to achieve greater slack management, increased draft protection and better control over run-in and run-out events. This results in significant reductions in train consist restrictions, fewer unplanned service interruptions, and improved operations throughout the network.”
Installed in the railcar pocket, each Miner FCS® uses two draft gears in a specialized tandem arrangement. “Utilizing Miner’s proven draft gear technology, Miner FCS® minimizes free movement caused by slack, which prevents premature wear, lowers maintenance costs and better-protects assets,” the company notes. “It also provides the flexibility to safely operate longer trains.”
The Miner FCS® also mitigates run-in and run-out events by combining draft gear friction with Miner’s patented TecsPak spring material. This, Miner says, “leads to fewer lading shifts, broken knuckles and hose separations—root causes for undesired stoppages and costly delays often associated with hydraulic units.”
Miner notes that the FCS® “installs easily as a straightforward application” on refrigerated and standard boxcars, steel coil cars and flat cars, including center beam and general service flat cars. The company has been collaborating with Class I railroads for several years in developing the Miner FCS®. More than 10,000 Miner FCS®-equipped cars are in service, with a combined 400-plus million service miles.
STRATO, INC.
“Strato continues to conduct R&D on Non-Hydraulic Energy Management Systems to bring the benefits of these technologies to the industry,” Vice President Strategic Business Development Mike Ring tells Railway Age. “Aside from our Selective Cushioning Unit (SCU), which has gained approval under the new AAR M-902 specification, and which has performed well over the past seven-plus years in thousands of cars, we have developed the new Sentry Cushion Unit for autorack service. We are working with the AAR committees to gain approval to begin field service testing.
“We also have a version of the Sentry unit for 286K GRL (gross rail load) service entering field service applications in September 2025. The main advantages of the Sentry series of cushion units are easier and lower retrofit costs, lighter weight, and improved impact and train action characteristics. Car types that have received these energy management system upgrades include box cars, coil steel cars, and centerbeam and bulkhead flat cars. They’ve have been running well over the entire North American interchange rail system, in all climates and regions, for more than seven years.”
“Moving all our efforts with individual unit testing, cycle testing, and proof loading and everything else we do in-house to perform full-scale impact tests—which we did previously with third-party facilities like MxV Rail—re-ups our commitment to the product line and its continuous development, as well as to some new iterations we’re working on to improve retrofitting costs on different car types,” Ring adds. “In continuing these efforts, we’ve been chasing after the retrofit cost to make it a direct swap for existing units to help what our customers are searching for. We continue to find ways to increase performance while lowering retrofit costs, moving toward a direct swap for ease of conversion. On the draft side, we have an established and mature product line, from yokes to coupler bodies and knuckles and all the jewelry that goes along with it.”
Strato has added products in the area of four-port receiver access plates “to help ensure the industry has adequate supply in converting the North American fleet, as these are now mandatory where they can be applied,” Ring says. “Strato has also added C10 pins, a full complement of brake pin sizes, draft keys and brake shoe keys, as well as reconditioning services for couplers and yokes. We continue to grow through developing new products and services that our customers need and we have a new product pipeline full of innovative projects to come in the future.
“The rail industry continues to move in the direction of non-hydraulic energy management systems to improve train dynamics, lower in-train forces, improve safety of train consists, reduce operational delays caused by hose separations and knuckle breakage, and to reduce the amount of maintenance required to maintain cushioned cars.
“Life cycle cost savings are a key driver of these relatively new energy management systems. In many cases, when assets are improved with AAR M-902-equipped energy management systems, these assets are chosen over the hydraulic equipped counterparts and in more demand, thus improving asset utilization for M-902 equipped fleets. Leasing companies that have or are upgrading to the M-902 energy management systems will find that these equipped cars are getting requested to be utilized by the railroad operators for the above mentioned reasons.
“When the railroads can spend their time moving freight instead of setting out and repairing cars, and dealing with operational delays caused by hydraulics, the whole system operates more efficiently, thus helping the railroads deliver their customers’ freight on a more consistent basis and helps competition with the long haul trucking industry.
“The M-902 energy management system-equipped cars benefit the entire rail system in so many positive ways and will surely become the de facto standard as the years pass. That said, Strato is committed to doing the best job we can to support the betterment of our industry and our customers.”
