Reply to "Link coupler weight questions"

There are a number of variations on the link couplers. Some of the early trucks had die-cast journal boxes. The earliest link couplers had a very thin shank on them ('46 only), then the shank was made thicker ('47). Then it was decided to add the weight to improve reliability (although the aluminum passenger cars had springs put on them to help too). The first weights were plain brass in '48, and then at some time the brass was blackened and in '49 changed to a pot metal or steel weight, both black colored, likely mostly an anodized black.