Mid-car air hoses on intermodal equipment

[D300]

Got a question that will best be answered by crews:

I have noticed when spine and well cars pass they often have on one unit (of a multi-platform car) a pair of air hoses and gladhands that are mid-car. In other words not near a coupler. I am not talking about over the articulation in between well buckets but, along the side of the spine or well car.

Is this set up of air hoses simply a cheap way to allow for expansion of the pipes or is this a way to couple up yard air if say cars are not properly positioned? Can't say I have ever seen it used.

D3

[E.M. Bell]

I have often wondered the same thing, and no one has ever had an answer.

It makes sense to have a "soft" connection somewhere on those 5 packs, and they have been known to come apart at places other than the drawbar before, but the placement of the glad hands in the middle of a car dont make much sense...not to me anyway.

[GP30Rider]

I've never worked on one so I am just guessing but possibly a place to access the trainline for a single car test.  The air brake test is sensitive to brake pipe length.

[E.M. Bell]

That makes the most sense out of any response to this question I have ever heard...and I never gave that aspect much thought...