Western Railroad Discussion > Additional locomotive coupler questions

In regards to this recent topic http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2941607,2942465#msg-2942465, I have some additional questions. How can you identify an alignment control coupler vs. a non-alignment control coupler? Visual features? or certain markings? both?

Here are two examples (below), are either of these alignment control?

Can you simply pull out a non-alignment control coupler from a locomotive and replace it with an alignment control one? Or do you need to replace or upgrade the "pocket" as well?

I know very little on this topic, so hopefully these questions make some sense. Any info that can be provided to help me understand better is greatly appreciated!

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The front alignment control coupler of SP 9010, the Krauss-Maffei under restoration in Niles Canyon, CA.

Quoting from the 9010 website: Note the 4 ears on the shank end and the 4 square posts inside the pocket. The posts bear against springs which hold the coupler centered in the pocket.

~ Bob Z.

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Here are the best shots I have of the pocket area of the mounted coupler pictured. From these it's probably to hard to tell if they are, or not, alignment couplers. Or if the "pocket" is set-up to accept alignment couplers.

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Here are a couple from the "pocket" of the loose coupler pictured. Based on Notch16's photo's these appear to be alignment couplers.

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Howard Wise photos of the KM coupler. :-)

~ BZ