Abstract: A rail car cushion apparatus comprises concentric cylinder and housing members mounted at one end to a seat of a cushion apparatus body and at the other end to a cylinder head. The cylinder head includes a flow chamber and flow passages. A sleeve valve chamber is also included in the cylinder head adjacent to the flow chamber. A sleeve valve is provided in the sleeve valve chamber and is slidably mounted to slide along a piston rod telescopically received in the concentric cylinder and housing members. The sleeve valve is confined for limited movement by a sleeve retainer lip provided in the cylinder head. The retainer lip is discontinous to provide space for the sleeve valve to be inserted into the sleeve valve chamber. The sleeve valve retainer lip alternatively may be formed by a flexible retainer member retained in a groove formed in the cylinder head.