Are there any old car knockers out there?

I'm looking to repair or adjust the plug doors on two of our old boxcars.

The first car is of about a 1960's vintage car built for Western Pacific and the only info I have is that is has Camel brand door rollers. The operating mechanism is accessed from inside the door and works like a bank vault in that it retracts 4 bolts and then rotates two shafts to "unplug" the door from its seat. This mechanism works OK, but the door does not want to roll very well on its tracks.

The other car is Pacific Fruit Express' first mechanical reefer. I can't find any literature as to the brand of hardware. It, too, has two shafts that pull the door plug out of its seat but one shaft is very hard to rotate. It's not apparent what is jamming this shaft.

The main questions are: Where does one start with adjustment? The doors are banged up pretty badly as are the rods and levers. Was it customary to completely remove the doors for repair or can adjustments be made in place.

Thanks,

Al

Clean the tracks and see if the doors don't roll freely. I have found a lot of crud in old boxcar door tracks before. As for the rest, rust jacking between moving parts can do a lot of damage, but dosing with a lot of PB Blaster and percussion to loosen things up might help.Check fit and alignment, and assuming you have already done lubrication of the usual suspects..... best wishes.

Hi Al,

As you may know, we at Wasatch Railroad Cont also have a railcar repair facility, Wasatch Railcar Repair. We handle a lot of box cars and have had a few from the early 70's and beyond.

The answer to your question is not as simple as it may seem. The doors have so many factors in making them work correctly. The issues start at the tracks and end in the door rollers themselves. Track issues have to do with alignment, height and so on.

Yes, we normally fully remove a door to make repairs to tracks and hangers and so on.

Look....I'd love to give you advice. If you want to post a few pictures, or send them direct to me, I will be more than happy to help you with a strategy to make them "work". I have also done a number of full door replacements and we have made new doors as well.....not that hard. So, I have a lot to share. Call or email me....happy to talk you past it all.

John E. Rimmasch
Wasatch Railcar Repair

info@wrrc.us

307-778-7458

Lubrication is key. In rolling the door, make sure the tracks are clean and somewhat smooth. Clean and lube the wheels. If the wheels centers or pins are worn out or the rims have flat spots, you may be able to replace these parts without having to fabricate much if anything. There are some suppliers out there for boxcar door parts - a search online will turn some up.

[quote="Wasatch RR Cont"]Hi Al,



Look....I'd love to give you advice. If you want to post a few pictures, or send them direct to me, I will be more than happy to help you with a strategy to make them "work". I have also done a number of full door replacements and we have made new doors as well.....not that hard. So, I have a lot to share. Call or email me....happy to talk you past it all.

why not post photos and discussion here so everyone can share and learn?