In a message dated 4/8/2006 6:46:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,
STMFC@... writes:
Wheel sets from Reboxx with longer axles would take up some of that
side-to-side slack but is that important?
Yes, and the coupler centering will be improved. You'll also find that
there's no "drop" of the axle-wheelset when the car is lifted off the track. You may
also find, as did I, that when ReBoxx sets of proper lengths are installed
the need for the shim washers to achieve correct coupler height may no be
needed, as well.
Given the cone shape of the bearing and axle tip, wouldn't the axles tend to
be self-
centering?
No, it doesn't work quite that way, though that's a facile notion embraced by
many. Rolling is improved by having the minimum surface of the axle cone in
contact with the [admittedly] poor internal bearing cone of the side frame. The
sideframes should be cleaned out with the ReBoxx (or similar) tool in
preparation for changing out the wheels.


Has anyone ever replaced the wheel sets in old Central Valley
trucks? I guess one would drill out the rivet (or rivets in the case
of six wheel trucks)
Some care must be taken with six-wheel trucks...........so the sideframes
don't fall apart. I wrap some vinyl tape around the sideframes while I'm drilling
and tapping for the new screws for re-assembly.
and replace the rivet with a small machine
screw.
Yes, it's fairly easily done..........
Is this worth doing from an operational point of view?
Absolutely, and the rolling qualities are vastly improved; -- enough so that
I sometime find it necessary to drill a tiny hole in the truck bolster to
insert a single whisker of a nylon hairbrush, just to add enough rolling
resistance so the "re-wheeled" CV truck don't drift on perfectly less than dead level
track!
Is it worth doing for appearance given that passenger car trucks are
usually less visible from the end that are freight car trucks?
As above................it's well worth doing.

Mal Houck

From: "al_brown03" <abrown@...>
Subject: Freight car washing (was Photo of R-40-25)

--- In STMFC@..., Anthony Thompson <thompson@...> wrote:

maybe it would be > interesting to explore how many reefer owners washed cars at all?

More generally, how many *freight car* owners washed cars at all? I
vaguely recall reading, somewhere, that the Chicago & Illinois Midland
washed everything including hoppers. But how (un)common was that?
====================================

In eight years of working for railroads and another 15 years as a consultant, involved regulary with yard operations, I never heard of washing freight cars. There weren't any wash racks in freight yards. Private line owners couldn't wash cars regularly because they couldn't cause cars to be brought to where thye could be washed. It would have been a totally unjustifiable expense.

Passenger trains weree a different story. Thre were many car washers near terminals.

On locomotives, there was a big difference of opinion. Santa Fe worked hard on keeping their engines clean. NYC just let the dirt pile up. IMHO it was no coincidence that SF had many fewer road failures. Nothing like dirt in the carbody to build up electrical faults that trip the ground relays.






Malcolm Laughlin, Editor 617-489-4383
New England Rail Shipper Directories
19 Holden Road, Belmont, MA 02478

Just a few years after this list, I was working at SC Johnson's Waxdale
plant. They would wash the side of the red, white and blue J.W.A.X. cars
while the car was being loaded. I don't recall the same treatment for the
yellow cars. The loading dock was inside the building.

Doug Brown

Hal and all,

--- In STMFC@..., Indian640@... wrote: "You may also find,
as did I, that when ReBoxx sets of proper lengths are installed the
need for the shim washers to achieve correct coupler height may no be
needed, as well."

That never occurred to me but I can easily see how that might affect
the coupler height. Really glad I asked.

Gene Green