Two different kinds of vehicle impulse, i. e., velocity impulse in marshalling and load impulse in train running, are analysed with the principle of energy; and by means of dynamics, the influence of velocity difference between vehicles, the shape of the characteristic curve and the friction characteristic of the buffer and its largest longitudinal force are studied. A new factor called the energy spare coefficient is suggested to evaluate the buffer's working capacity. Besides, suggestions for impro- ving ...