roller bearings in friction journal boxes

Drew Meek · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:07 am

Happy new year! Does anyone know who I can contact that will be able to modify friction bearing trucks with roller bearings in it's journal boxes? How is this done and is this generally expensive?
Thanks
Drew Meek

dm@spangenbergphillips.com

Joshua · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:46 am

Steamtown NHS does this with their revenue passenger cars, try calling them if you like.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Joshua

joshuakblay.com
joshua@joshuakblay.com

CP O'Shea · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 4:57 pm

> Happy new year! Does anyone know who I can
> contact that will be able to modify friction
> bearing trucks with roller bearings in it's
> journal boxes? How is this done and is this
> generally expensive?
> Thanks
> Drew Meek

Be sure to dig into FRA regs and check into the viability of what you're doing. There may (and I say may only because of heard it second hand) rules not allowing journal box lids on friction bearing trucks converted to roller bearings. If the equipment is historic in nature, you may have to apply for an FRA waiver to bypass the regulation.

FRA waivers are common on historic equipment, and it's better to be squared away with the Feds instead of having an inspector find out the hard way...

Fiv4HghStk@aol.com

ge13031 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 5:01 pm

> FRA waivers are common on historic
> equipment, and it's better to be squared
> away with the Feds instead of having an
> inspector find out the hard way...

Good Point, "Lets Roll", the famous well traveled aux. tender has rollers in friction boxes with the lids on. It's a fooler 'till you open the lid.

lamontdc@adelphia.net

Robin · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 7:25 pm

Are the roller bearings the type that are sealed?

retsquid@tvec.net

Steve Zuiderveen · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 8:24 pm

> Happy new year! Does anyone know who I can
> contact that will be able to modify friction
> bearing trucks with roller bearings in it's
> journal boxes? How is this done and is this
> generally expensive?
> Thanks
> Drew Meek

I was Car Foreman at Steamtown Foundation and worked out the first conversion there to put roller bearings into friction boxes. It was based on a former AAR Standard Practice.

These are presently perfectly legal by the FRA; however, they are prohibited in interchange by the AAR due to the masking of the journal box heat from the hotbox servos. I do not know Steamtown's present iteration of the conversion, but the first two I did left the covers on to make them look old.

Biggest reason I went for them then was the massive oil slick being formed on the first mile of the right-of-way from the journal oil from the friction boxes; also, it is proving more difficult to get the brasses and pads to service friction boxes.

I have seen versions of the conversion since where the entire front of the box was bandsawed off; this evidently will allow the hotbox detectors to do their thing. Amtrak switch engines in Washington, DC have this conversion.

I will do free-lance work for you to engineer and do a conversion; however, I have to fit it arround my present full time work schedule.

Steve Zuiderveen

SZuidervee@aol.com

BobK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:28 pm

The journal boxes on the lets roll tender are cut open underneath to allow the detectors to read.

Smokebox · **Posted:** Wed Jan 01, 2003 4:04 pm

> Good Point, "Lets Roll", the
> famous well traveled aux. tender has rollers
> in friction boxes with the lids on. It's a
> fooler 'till you open the lid.

I remember a few years ago pulling into Portland Union Station and a person who was not so fond of the 4449 strolled right up to the "Let's Roll" to smell the hot grease on the boxes. I knew exactly what he was up to and just had to laugh as he had no clue that there were roller bearings under those lids!

Smokebox

"orhf dot org"

Jason Sobczynski · **Posted:** Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:54 pm

Contact Magnus-Farley@402/721-9540. They have the adapters/kits on the shelf. Also, they can provide you with all requirments and procedures for the conversion.

jasonsobczynski@yahoo.com

Tim Stuy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:28 am

> Contact Magnus-Farley@402/721-9540. They
> have the adapters/kits on the shelf. Also,
> they can provide you with all requirments
> and procedures for the conversion.

I called them and they told me they have not been in the conversion business for over 10 years!

Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society
tstuy@eldcps.org

Pete · **Posted:** Sat Jan 04, 2003 4:36 am

They're OK for captive service, but the AAR won't accpet them in interchange anymore, period.

roller bearings in friction journal boxes

Who is online