There is a cored reservoir cavity around the bearing, but it is not accessed. There is even a dimple where the filler screw should be, but it is not drilled or tapped.

When backing a car, someone should tend the pole with gloves and a switch iron. With low, taut wire it's easy. If the wire is high and/or slack, the pole will want to go up, shoe moreso than a well-lubricated wheel.

Backing on the street, people think you're pulling the car backward by yourself using the pole rope.

The switch iron? One bang on the anticlimber means stop NOW!.

Phil Mulligan

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know about Electric Materials Co.

I wonder if they obtained obsolete OB patterns which had the cores. It seems like of extra work making up and placing the cores if you aren't going to utilize them in the finish machining.

What method are you using to balance the wheels after you modify them?

Given Electric Material’s location, not far from Erie, I would guess that their trolley wheel is based on a General Electric design. Our wheels were balanced by our machinist, Don McKinsey. With Don no longer with us, in the future we will probably have them commercially balanced.