Attack of the Giant Killer Lobster Claw!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd been warned about these. Several S scaler (as opposed to hirailer or tinplater) guys had tried to educate me about the disadvantages of "lobster claw" couplers. They told me scale couplers - whether Kadee, AM, Sargent, SHS or whatever - were superior in every way, more sophisticated, more refined, etc. etc. Even for layouts with huge rails and tight curves, scale couplers were the coupling of choice.
But nobody ever told me this could happen!
Those "operatives" from that science fiction movie club, who so graciously gave of their time to check out that suspicious-looking boxcar, and guard that precious generator on its way, have been attacked, ATTACKED, by a vicious, uncaring, evil (so I now know) hirail knuckle coupler!!!
While the others were consuming hot beverages and biscottis inside this Marx caboose, "Luke #2" (not "Luke #1" in the storm trooper outfit) was merrily enjoying the view from the caboose's rear platform, hoping to get a last look at the station as the train pulled out. Apparently he was accustomed to the motion of only passenger trains, because, as the engineer pulled out the slack, Luke #2 was unprepared for the abrupt movement of the caboose, and fell off. (Why are there no railings on this caboose? Can you say "lawsuit" Mr. Marx?)
Not missing a beat, the rear coupler SNAPPED mercilessly around the hapless ejectee. If the engineer had not remembered to check for his tea mug (he had left it at the station) he would not have stopped right away, and would have dragged Luke #2 along the rubber ties, his head bouncing along like Rocky Balboa's punching bag. It would have been humiliating. It might even have left a mark.
The others heard Luke #2's screams, and immediately came to the rescue. Extraction proved to be difficult. The bright beams of their "energy weapons", while visually entertaining, proved ineffective against the mysterious synthetic material of which the nasty mechanism is formed. (Strange, but they actually seemed surprised by this.) In the end, the victim was loosed from the stubborn device by ramming it with a link coupler-equipped boxcar. Unfortunately, this had an effect on the victim which C-3P0 described as "rather negative." Pix were not taken of the extraction itself. Such explicit images would not be allowed here anyway, and for good reason.
All of this could have been avoided. If the issues raised had been about practical matters such as safety, instead of superficialities like appearance, "scale accuracy", and such, I might have listened to the warnings. But nooOOOoooo! All anyone could talk about was how dumb these couplers look, how awkward and toy-like they are, NOT ONE MENTION OF THEIR LOUSY ATTITUDE!!!!!
Now I'm wondering what to expect from "pie cutter" wheel flanges. Is there no end to the uncertainty?!?
I gotta sue somebody. Lucasfilm, to start with.