Were any freight cars equipped with roller bearing trucks in the 1950's? And if so what type of trucks were they (I know that there are different types) and how common was it?
Thanks!!!
Roller bearings were first applied, in 1923, to a W&LE boxcar, and, effective January 1, 1972, all cars having journals 6.5"x11" or larger had to be equipped with roller bearings. By January 1, 1974, all cars with a gross rail load exceeding 55,000 lbs. per axle were required to be equipped with roller bearings.
I couldn't find much info on this subject in the '50s, but it's safe to assume that there were at least some cars so-equipped in that time period, although I'm uncertain of their appearance. The railroads would have had probably several years notice of those 1972 and 1974 dates cited above, and it's likely that new cars built in the interim would have been equipped with roller bearings. I recall seeing them becoming more prevalent in the '60s.
Wayne
For some years a classic Athearn, later Menzies, freight car kit was the demonstration 40' boxcar painted up for Timken Roller Bearings. Oddly enough when the kit was introduced I do not believe Athearn had a roller bearing truck model to go with it! What I do not know is if the prototype was a product of the late 1940s or early 1950s, but I believe Lionel also had such a boxcar in its line.
I read somewhere -- can't find it now, naturally -- that in the early 1950s railroads favored roller bearing trucks for cars that were expected to spend most of their service life on the home road. I guess the reasoning was, why should other railroads enjoy the economies of the roller bearing truck that you bought and paid for?
This is a situation where a car builder's cyclopedia for your favorite era can be a great educational tool.
Dave Nelson
Thanks for the info...
I am modeling the mid 1950's and I noticed in looking at Allen McLelland's V&O he has a few freight cars with Timken roller bearing trucks (during the time he was modeling the 1958 era). I realize that these trucks would be no where near as common as the friction bearing trucks. But it would be nice to throw in a few cars equipped with them for variety sake. But only if it was prototypical.
Finding information on the internet on this subject is difficult at best. Even when there is info to be found it is extremely vague.
As described earlier, rollerbears where experimented with very early on.
The first commonly used roller bearing freight car trucks, introduced in the late 1940's, used enclosed Timken bearings similar to those on streamlined passenger car trucks and tender trucks. MDC made them in plastic years ago and EB products makes a plastic sprung version today.
The famous Timken box car had these enclosed type bearings.
Covered cement hoppers, express reefers and box cars where among the first cars equiped with them. To the best of my knowledge, the first application of open roller bearings like we see today was the 70 ton trucks on those first 75' piggyback flats built by Beth Steel for the PRR in 1954.
The enclosed type remained popular as equipment was converted until the open type took over in the early to mid 60's.
Sheldon
Good information!
Who is EB products though I can't seem to find them in Walthers on even online.
I'll equip a few foreign road cars with these and then I think my railroad will be purchasing a "new" fleet of 50' boxcars equipped with them.
bmvernilWho is EB products though I can't seem to find them in Walthers on even online.
They are not in Walthers or on line. The best source for them is Greenway Products at www.greenwayproducts.com
there were for a time roller bearing conversions using the original truck sideframes. i remember seeing them on freight cars with the journal box lids removed and upon looking into the box, the roller bearings were visable instead of the conventional brass friction bearings. seems like these were common during the late 60's and early 70's. no doubt the axle ends had to be different to accomodate the roller bearing. does anyone know more about this?
grizlump
grizlump9 there were for a time roller bearing conversions using the original truck sideframes. i remember seeing them on freight cars with the journal box lids removed and upon looking into the box, the roller bearings were visable instead of the conventional brass friction bearings. seems like these were common during the late 60's and early 70's. no doubt the axle ends had to be different to accomodate the roller bearing. does anyone know more about this?grizlump
I actually remember seeing those to conversions too and I know the answer to that question.
New cars built after 1966 were required to have roller bearing trucks, and solid-bearing trucks were banned from interchange service after 1980. So the railroads would just change the wheel set out in the truck to roller bearing wheel sets to comply (way cheaper than replacing the whole truck). However, in 1991 they were likewise banned because the friction bearing cover prevented hotbox detectors from seeing roller bearing wheels that were defective and overheating, which caused several derailments.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL bmvernilWho is EB products though I can't seem to find them in Walthers on even online. They are not in Walthers or on line. The best source for them is Greenway Products at www.greenwayproducts.com Sheldon
Here http://www.greenwayproducts.com/a_brass_not_trucks.shtml to be precise - and thanks for the info because Greenway will be at Milwaukee's Trainfest in a few weeks and with luck I can pick up a pair of these trucks to outfit my Menzies/Athearn metal kit.