Bishop car-coupler

Employee J.B. Sheehan used this Bishop car-coupler on the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1884. This type of steel blade with wooden handle was used by brakemen and switchman to join and unjoin rail cars.

After the U.S. Civil War railroads expanded rapidly in Kansas. Traveling through the state on train was one of the safest and fastest ways to cross the country. Over a hundred years later railroads still frequently roll across the plains. To see other similar documents please visit: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/308223