Riding a steam driven passenger train had its unique moments.
Whereas a modern diesel electric just begins slowly rolling at startup, steam engines would start with taking up the ‘slack’ between car couplings. You could hear it start at the head of the train, chunk, chunk, chunk. Then your car would have its turn, suffering a jolt, then very slowly rolling as you could hear the chunk make its way to the end of the train. Then began another series of chunks, until all the slack was gone and you were moving.
A few years ago we took the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge, which is an old steam train. It was a lot of fun but I was exhausted at the end of the day from being banged around - also the black smoke from the engine would get into the cars around the turns.
Still. Lots of fun and highly recommend.
The end of the coupling that fastened to those cars had about a 6” elongated vertical slot. A pin or bolt in the draft box kept it from pulling out. That is so you can move one car a foot before the next car starts rolling. It is the only way you can get a long multiple car train moving. One car at a time.
Now they have a combination of springs and shock absorber to keep it centered in the draft box. It will move against the spring until it overcomes the friction of the wheel bearings and that car moves. Then the draft gear on the other end of that car and the front of the next car repeat the process. It acts as a cushion for braking. It is all silent. Much better.
Here is a youtube. Sadly there is no sound. BVB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLxBarc0hWw
FRiend, I envy you the experiences which I shall never have.
“Whereas a modern diesel electric just begins slowly rolling at startup, steam engines would start with taking up the ‘slack’ between car couplings.”
That has nothing to do with the engine. Modern couplers have less slack. But you can still hear that noise if you listen.