Looking for some prior experience here with Passenger car buffer stem/springs:

1920's era Pullman passenger car-
Examining the Center Buffer Stem (~3" x 3" x 20+ inches long Steel bar) that keeps the buffer plate pressed against the buffer of the next car, it was found that the Center Buffer Stem is fully jammed into the Casting for the Platform/Vestibule. It is jammed to the point of being nearly flush with the Platform casting.


The question: Does this generally occur when the center buffer spring(s) are broken OR could it just be due to the car being stored coupled tightly with the buffer compressed and the Center Buffer Stem has now rusted in place?


If it is just jammed and rusted, the springs would likely be under a very large load which presents its own challenges.


If anyone has performed this sort of repair for either cause are there any points or approaches that make it easier/safer?


From underneath the buffer springs seem compressed but I can't see all of them and can't see a broken spring. Even after the platform is removed, the top of the platform casting is still covered with a thin plate with many "rusted in place" flat head screws holding it down so that nothing is visible from the top.

The Center Buffer Stem is believed to be Pullman Part P-54 (per a Pullman Catalog I believe with a date of 9-1933, Plate 13 of Section P). Per the same catalog I believe this to be a Pullman Buffer design (not Waugh). The various buffer springs, shims, and guides are shown on the same plate 13.

A long time ago we had something similar to deal with in a commuter car - removing the plates above allowed us to remove the rust, ballast bits, etc and loosen everything up. The spring wasn't compressed when the buffer was fully extended, but of course your mileage may vary so be careful.

Buffering in the center or on the arms under the platforms almost always has to be replaced due to corrosion from decades of ice melt (salt). Hope your frame scantlings are still good.

Thank You,

I am going to expect that a spring(s) is broken. There is a lot of rust on what I can see of the springs even though the paint on the frame and other structures seems to be reasonably covering things.

It still seems like the springs may be compressed - will be interesting to see how things really are inside.

If anyone has recollections of how the various shims and guides hold the springs inside the casting or how securely they hold the springs in place that would be welcome information. Pullman catalog has just one image without a lot of detail.

Thanks Again

On my car I found that the rails that the guide the traveler for the Center Buffer Stem had corroded (gone) and also Center Buffer Stem was rusted frozen to the car. My welder rebuilt the rails and we spent days cleaning out the path of the Center Buffer Stem. The springs were good and loaded with energy. Be careful.

Thank You PRR7009

That is a nice photograph to have showing the condition and arrangements of the components. I appreciate you posting that. It is a far better photograph of the mechanism than I have located in the Pullman Catalog.

The springs in the car I am working on are compressed just a bit more than those in your picture -I'm guessing that they are under just as much load if they are not broken.

Is there anything you can say as a basic summary for how you approached getting the load off and/or getting the Center Stem free?

Thanks Again!

My welder was able to compress the springs enough to remove that carrier plate at my left foot in the picture. Then carefully removed the springs. With the springs out we spent days working to break the Center Buffer Stem free from the rust it was frozen in. The old shims were steel and solid rust fused to the car.

Cleaned it all out, rebuilt those guide rails and resembled.

Have you / can you, remove the buffer plate? If you can't compress your springs you might have to and then start your project by breaking the Center Buffer Stem free and then working inward.

Hard work but, isn't the Pullman HW infrastructure impressive?

Good luck
Paul Mulligan
PRR7099

Thank You, We are going to see what we can do to carefully free the center stem.

The HW hardware is impressive and fairly robust it seems . . . except for where things are left to sit stationary and they rust badly. The effort that went into cataloging and documenting parts in the Pullman Catalog was surely quite an effort - quite a lot of pictures and listings. Really appreciate your input on the fixes. The methods of "fixes" are the details that don't seem to be as easy to come by.

Thanks Again