The original car-builder's dictionary(s) (CBD) were created at least in part, to create a formal name for railroad car parts and assemblies, so the accountants would know what they were paying for, when being billed by another railroad for off line repairs to a car in interchange. An accountant would not realize that a roof walk board was the same as a running board... they needed consistent terms.
The terms found in the CBD are truly the official, railroad vetted terms... local terms are fine, but they were not official...
Personally, I really dislike the term friction bearing, in part because it was invented by Timkin's sales department, as a way of disparaging the older solid bearings. It is not a railroad vetted term... its something a salesman would use... Railroad personel did pick it up and use it, but it is still a salesman's term... Before the invention and marketing of roller bearings, the bearing on a railroad car axle was a "journal bearing" ... which did not specific what kind of bearing since there was only one style in use...
