A coupling mechanism for use on a railcar moving vehicle designed to couple with European-type railway cars having an end sill at each end of the car which supports a centrally disposed draft hook and a pair of buffers mounted one at each end of the end sill, the coupling mechanism including a casting which moves laterally on a plurality of rollers, a crossbar or lifting beam carried on the end of the casting and pivotal relative thereto about a vertical axis, a pair of lifting forks carried on the respective ends of the crossbar, and a pair of buffer plates carried at opposite ends of the crossbar and positioned to push against corresponding buffers on a railway car. The coupling mechanism also includes sensing means which controls lateral movement of the casting during a pushing or pulling operation in accordance with relative lateral movement of the railcar end sill and buffers.