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From: gr@uvacs.UUCP (Greg Richardson)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Re: trucks
Message-ID: <1739@uvacs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 10:30:47 EST
Article-I.D.: uvacs.1739
Posted: Mon Dec 10 10:30:47 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Dec-84 01:34:46 EST
References: <147@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: U.Va. CS Dept. Charlottesville, Va.
Lines: 38

> Can someone give me (us) a quick tutorial on freight trucks?
> I see the terms "Bettendorf", "arch-bar", "Timken Roller-Bearing",
> and am totally lost as to how to recognize them in the field,
> or what advantages and disadvantages each has, and what period
> each was used in.  I only mentioned a few -- I'm sure there are others.
> -- Kenn Goutal		...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-parrot!goutal ?
> 
> Wed 5-Dec-1984 12:36 EST

The three types of trucks you mention above are by far the main three.  In
chronological order of use they are 1) Arch-Bar, 2) Bettendorf, and 3) Roller
Bearing.  Arch bar trucks were popular around and after 1900 - the only ones
you will see nowadays are in museums and the like - cars with arch-bar trucks
are NOT interchangeable (between railroads that is) by ICC regulations.  Also,
most arch-bar trucks contained wheels that were cast iron - another ICC inter-
change No-No.  Arch-bar trucks have the appearance of being made with relatively
flat metal bars.  There are no smoothly curved sideframe castings; in fact, each
piece of the sideframe is bolted together.  Bettendorf trucks are made of single
piece cast sideframes which has a curved appearence.  Like Arch-bar trucks,
Bettendorf trucks have friction bearings.  This feature can be spotted by the
presence of a small spring-loaded door over the axle case.  A brass and babbitt
pad rests on the top of the axle which is lubricated by an oil-soaked pad which
presses against the bottom of the axle.  That is the reason for the small door-
to check and add oil to the axle case.  This truck was popular from the 20s up
until 1950.  After that time, most cars built had were done so with roller bear-
ings.  A roller bearing truck has basically the same sideframe as the bettendorf.
In fact, many (most) bettendorf trucks have had the friction bearing removed
and a roller bearing assembly inserted.  This can be spotted by the removal of
the axle case door.  The main spotting feature for the roller bearing is the
rotating end plate on the bearing case.  There are several common shapes -
triangular, circular, and hexagonal.  I cannot think of any others right
off.  Next time you're out, look for these things - trucks are actually
quite easy to distinguish.  I hope this makes sense!

				- Greg Richardson
				- UVa Academic Computing Center
				- Charlottesville  VA
				- uvacs!gr