Barrier vehicle

A barrier vehicle, barrier wagon, match wagon or translator coach is used to convert between non-matching railway coupler types. This allows locomotives to pull railway vehicles or parts of a train with a different type of coupler. A match wagon has an identical dual coupling at both ends.

Use

They are often found on empty [coaching stock] moves where freight locomotives need to transport coaching stock fitted with Scharfenberg couplers and other automatic couplers. The use of barrier coaches has evolved with a general move from conventional passenger trains consisting of locomotive-hauled coaches, to trains consisting of multiple units.

These vehicles tend to be neutrally liveried or in some cases are painted with the livery of a particular rolling stock company. For example, Porterbrook use corporately-liveried examples for delivery of rolling stock and for transfers for refurbishment and maintenance.