After reading Doug Bailey's post below, I decided to check out the 261's website. Under shop news, Mr. Sandberg talks about bringing their equipment up to Amtrak standards, and mentions that "rim stamped wheels" are not in compliance with these standards. What does "rim stamped" mean? I assume this relates to how the wheels are cast, but I really don't know. Could someone educate me? Thanks. Seth


Wilmington & Western RR
sethajackson@hotmail.com

"Rim stamped" refers to the now-obsolete practice of marking wheels with the manufacturer's name, date, plant of origin, and other data on the inside (back) face of the rim of the wheel. The current preferred location is on the inside face of the hub (hub-stamped).

The stampings on the rim provided a point of increased stress from which a crack could grow, especially if the wheel was heat-stressed as from dragging brake shoes. Wheel stampings are supposed to be made with letter dies with rounded edges, but often these stampings were overly deep. It's been a while since I was involved with passenger-car regulations, but I believe that rim-stamped wheels need not be removed on sight, but must not be re-installed in a car if removed during shopping. Am I correct?

Modern wheels are forged, not cast. I suspect the stampings are applied while the wheels are still hot.

Aarne Frobom

> After reading Doug Bailey's post below, I
> decided to check out the 261's website.
> Under shop news, Mr. Sandberg talks about
> bringing their equipment up to Amtrak
> standards, and mentions that "rim
> stamped wheels" are not in compliance
> with these standards. What does "rim
> stamped" mean? I assume this relates to
> how the wheels are cast, but I really don't
> know. Could someone educate me? Thanks. Seth

All wheel blanks are stamped with markings indicating their type, heat treating, manufature, date of manufacture , and serial number. If these are on the inside of the rim they are "rim stamped". If they are on the inside or outside of the hub they are "hub stamped".

On January 13, 1994, Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey had a tragic derailment accident in Florida that the NTSB determined was caused from a crack coming out of the top of a "4" in an overheated rim stamped wheel. They had acquired the wheel second hand, but there is evidence it came from the old Auto Train, which was notorious for the braking troubles they had on their train. The wheel broke under the train and caused the accident.

NTSB recomended the removal of all rim stamped wheels from tread braked service. The FRA codified this in 49 CFR 238.119, which required commuter and Amtrak to cease using rim stamped wheels on tread braked wheels after Nov. 8, 1999. This prohibition applies only to commuter and Amtrak, not to tourist and historic. The regulation allowed for Private Cars running on Amtrak to continue to use existing applied wheels until they ran out; however, Amtrak set a cutoff for their use of (I believe) July of two years ago.

I would not be suprised that if FRA ever gets around to updating the tourist and historic code, that they extend the "do not replace or renew rim stamped wheels with rim stamped wheels sitting behind the shop" to the tourst railroads also.

SZuidervee@aol.com

> On January 13, 1994, Ringling Bros.and
> Barnum & Bailey had a tragic derailment
> accident in Florida that the NTSB determined
> was caused from a crack coming out of the
> top of a "4" in an overheated rim
> stamped wheel. They had acquired the wheel
> second hand, but there is evidence it came
> from the old Auto Train, which was notorious
> for the braking troubles they had on their
> train. The wheel broke under the train and
> caused the accident.

> NTSB recomended the removal of all rim
> stamped wheels from tread braked service.
> The FRA codified this in 49 CFR 238.119,
> which required commuter and Amtrak to cease
> using rim stamped wheels on tread braked
> wheels after Nov. 8, 1999. This prohibition
> applies only to commuter and Amtrak, not to
> tourist and historic. The regulation allowed
> for Private Cars running on Amtrak to
> continue to use existing applied wheels
> until they ran out; however, Amtrak set a
> cutoff for their use of (I believe) July of
> two years ago.

> I would not be suprised that if FRA ever
> gets around to updating the tourist and
> historic code, that they extend the "do
> not replace or renew rim stamped wheels with
> rim stamped wheels sitting behind the
> shop" to the tourst railroads also.

I was secretary-Treasurer-newsletter editor for Association of Railway Museums when the FRA investigated the RB&BB wreck and issued its recommendations. I recall being called by one of the NTSB investigators prior to the publishing of the recommendations. Then I recall reporting the recommendations in the ARM quarterly newsletter.

I recall (without looking up the back issue, etc.) that the recommendation was that rim-stamped wheels not be mounted on axles. This was not a go out and replace your wheels recommendation -- when you need to replace wheels do not use rim-stamped wheels.

The intimation was that the recommendation was worded this way so not to burden tourist and museum railways.

Brian Norden