In this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qv7y0W_mNM
at about 06:00 and 13:00, as the wheelsets were lowered onto the track, they were turned 180º. Why? The only reason I could see was that this made the labels on the axles right-side-up as viewed from the ends of the truck. I wouldn't have thought that this would be important.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
I'm guessing your theory is correct. And it's easy enough to do.
Paul of Covington In this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qv7y0W_mNM at about 06:00 and 13:00, as the wheelsets were lowered onto the track, they were turned 180º. Why? The only reason I could see was that this made the labels on the axles right-side-up as viewed from the ends of the truck. I wouldn't have thought that this would be important.
Even carmen can have OCD tendencies.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The rigging has a twist in it and he is rotating it to remove the twist. Note that he looks up at itwhile rotating it. They do not have a swivel of any kind below the jib.
The wheels away from the camera both had an 'L' chalked on them. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Early on the carman was commenting on left-right, front-back being related to the B end of the car. I suspect a method to their madness, though they seemed neither angry or insane.
ChuckCobleigh The wheels away from the camera both had an 'L' chalked on them. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Early on the carman was commenting on left-right, front-back being related to the B end of the car. I susperct a method to their madness, though they seemed neither angry or insane.
The wheels away from the camera both had an 'L' chalked on them. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Early on the carman was commenting on left-right, front-back being related to the B end of the car. I susperct a method to their madness, though they seemed neither angry or insane.
I think you just solved it. If they are already stenciled "L", then you need to make them the "L"eft side. You count axles/wheels back from the B-end of the car.
So if you're standing on the track looking at the handbrake end of a car, then the wheel closest to you on the left side is the L1 wheel. behind that one (on the same side) are the L2, L3, and L4 wheels. On the other side to your right are the R1, R2, R3 and R4 wheels, respectively.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Thanks, Chuck & Zug. I went back to the video and finally saw the "L" which I had missed before. I hate to be a "yes, but", but though I can understand the need for labeling the components for maintenance records, I'm wondering why the wheelsets were labeled before assembly. They should be symmetrical when new or rebuilt. Anyway, it's no big deal. Maybe I'm suffering from an attack of OCD.
Years ago there was a truck optimization program called TDOP. It was started by SP and later taken over by FRA. One of the things that came out of that program is that freight cars wear out the front right and rear left flanges faster. In trying to explain this it was determined that there were more curves to the right than to the left in the US. Is this the reason? Who knows. But as a result of this program, and the final report that the FRA generated, some railroads started reversing the wheel sets everytime a car was untrucked to try and even out the flange wear.
More curves to the right than to the left? But, traffic moves in both directions, so a right curve going when west is a left curve when going east.
Johnny
Deggesty More curves to the right than to the left? But, traffic moves in both directions, so a right curve going when west is a left curve when going east.
Not to mention that if you're going in a given direction for any distance, the curves need to even out over the course of the "straight line" from point A to point B.
I've always heard that in general, the wheels center up on the treads, with the flanges playing a minimal role, except through switches. If that's the case, it would mean there are more switches going right than left...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
i wonder if they broke the data down to type of car and what service it was in?
I can possibly conceive of a unit coal train's cars having non-uniform wear given the cars almost always travel with the same end leading because the train gets turned at each end of the route on a ballon track. If the train always traverses both end's balloon tracks in the same clockwise/anti-clockwise direction, then the wear would not be uniform. Might simplify truck maintenance if the East and South ends of such routes balloon tracks were always traversed, say, clockwise and the North and West ends anti-clockwise, or some such scheme.
I also think there are some long distance routes that are somewhat circular, with predominant traffic in the route always in one direction, thus there might be more right curves than left. A route like City-A to City-B to City-C and back to City-A without going back through City-B, would entail more curves of one direction than the other.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
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