ATW, on 18 May 2024 - 05:28 PM, said:
Yes, drawbars do break but think: If there is enough force to break the drawbar would it not make more sense to design the knuckle to break at a somewhat lower force? Small part, easy to fix... whereas breaking something further towards the center of the car will put it on the RIP track, so yes, a weaker knuckle design makes sense.
Drawbar breaks, AFAIK, is usually caused by an existing crack. I have heard of draft gear failing when the acceleration was extremely fast.