I attempted to fix our dump car today (Thursday, 2/14/02) by borrowing two brasses from a car that we believed had started out as a sister car. Note that "attempted" and "believed". Y'all probably know what's coming.

I jacked up one end of one axle of the stock car -- which started out as a dump car, was cut down to a flat car in the 1970s, and converted to a stock car for a terrible TV pilot in the late '90s. The wedge proved a bit stubborn but I managed to get it out after some minor fiddling and cussing at it. As soon as I got it out, my cussing increased in volume and intensity. A blue cloud formed around the stock car as I extracted the brass and confirmed my suspicion.

The dump car, as mentioned previously, has 4x7 bearings. The stock car, formerly flat car, formerly similar but apparently not identical dump car, has 4 1/2 x 8 bearings.

There are no words to describe my frustration, although I said more than a few which come darned close. I even created a few new words just for the occasion. None are fit to reprint here.

This was Plan C. We've already been through Plan A, which was making a wood bearing; and Plan B, which was swapping out the trucks. Anybody got an idea for a Plan D?

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

It seems the obvious is to simply cast and machine a new brass. This isn't as difficult as it sounds. I don't know if any non ferrous foundries are operating in SC.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> It seems the obvious is to simply cast and
> machine a new brass. This isn't as difficult
> as it sounds. I don't know if any non
> ferrous foundries are operating in SC.

> Dave

Our resident machinist has a relative with a bronze foundry. Toppy took the undamaged brass I removed from the car to replicate it. However, I anticipate him taking several weeks to get this done. The idea of borrowing the bearings from a car I *thought* was identical was to get the dump car moving dirt again.


The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

> Our resident machinist has a relative with a
> bronze foundry. Toppy took the undamaged
> brass I removed from the car to replicate
> it. However, I anticipate him taking several
> weeks to get this done. The idea of
> borrowing the bearings from a car I
> *thought* was identical was to get the dump
> car moving dirt again.

Matt; A couple of ideas. First off. Keep your fingers out of that journal box. I've taken several guys to the hospital with the ends of thumbs and/or fingers mashed off when the box mousetrapped them.
Second; The 4x8 should be easier to find than the "4x7" as the 30 ton cars were not phased out as soon as the 20 ton.
Good luck.
Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net

Just curious, what type of wood bearing do you make and what type of failure if any did you experience. I have had good luck with green oak and even plywood to move cars short distances in emergencies.
Mike T in PA

> This was Plan C. We've already been through
> Plan A, which was making a wood bearing; and
> Plan B, which was swapping out the trucks.
> Anybody got an idea for a Plan D?


mtillger@enter.net

We have also stuffed the nearest piece of wood into a journal to make a real short move. If you really want to make a wooden bearing, well seasoned rock maple or osage orange has been used, grain running sideways to prevent splitting.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

I looked through the messages posted on this subject and I didn't see any mention of contacting bearing maker Magnus Farley in Fremont, Nebraska. I called yesterday and they have listings for 3 3/4 x 7 and 4 1/4 x 8, nothing for 4x7. Of course they had nothing available in the two sizes or the more common 5x9.

This brings up a question, as in everything if you produce more the price is lower for that product. Is there any interest in placing a large order for brasses such as 5x9's or 5 1/2x10's?

Richard Wilkens

> It seems the obvious is to simply cast and
> machine a new brass. This isn't as difficult
> as it sounds. I don't know if any non
> ferrous foundries are operating in SC.

> Dave


http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/print/CC/hgc2.html

> I looked through the messages posted on this
> subject and I didn't see any mention of
> contacting bearing maker Magnus Farley in
> Fremont, Nebraska. I called yesterday and
> they have listings for 3 3/4 x 7 and 4 1/4 x
> 8, nothing for 4x7. Of course they had
> nothing available in the two sizes or the
> more common 5x9.

Richard, when you talked to Magnus did you get a ballpark price? Last time I talked to them, the one piece price was over $500 and the mutli piece price dropped it to the $400 range. I suspect that might be a little rich for our friend here.

David Farlow

hudson.industries@worldnet.att.net

> I looked through the messages posted on this
> subject and I didn't see any mention of
> contacting bearing maker Magnus Farley in
> Fremont, Nebraska. I called yesterday and
> they have listings for 3 3/4 x 7 and 4 1/4 x
> 8, nothing for 4x7. Of course they had
> nothing available in the two sizes or the
> more common 5x9.

> This brings up a question, as in everything
> if you produce more the price is lower for
> that product. Is there any interest in
> placing a large order for brasses such as
> 5x9's or 5 1/2x10's?

> Richard Wilkens

The AAR 1920 Journal Brass Specs list an "A"
size of 3 3/4 x 7, a "B" size of 4 1/4 x 8, a
"C" size of 5 x 9, etc.so my guess is that we are talking about a 20 ton brass that was originally 3 3/4/ x 7.( Inches, of course.)
The bearing metal surface that contacted the axle was machine broached to a compound curve whose
purpose was to make sure the load was centered on the top part of the brass and the bearing did not pinch the axle thus causing high unit loads on the edge areas.
All this can be found in an older copy of the Car Builders Cyclopedia. Try one 1930 or older.

Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net

FYI: Orange Empire Railway Museum has AAR 5-1/2 x 10 journal brasses for sale or trade. Contact me off list if you are interested.

> I looked through the messages posted on this
> subject and I didn't see any mention of
> contacting bearing maker Magnus Farley in
> Fremont, Nebraska. I called yesterday and
> they have listings for 3 3/4 x 7 and 4 1/4 x
> 8, nothing for 4x7. Of course they had
> nothing available in the two sizes or the
> more common 5x9.

> This brings up a question, as in everything
> if you produce more the price is lower for
> that product. Is there any interest in
> placing a large order for brasses such as
> 5x9's or 5 1/2x10's?

> Richard Wilkens


OERM
jsmatlak@earthlink.net

> Just curious, what type of wood bearing do
> you make and what type of failure if any did
> you experience. I have had good luck with
> green oak and even plywood to move cars
> short distances in emergencies.
> Mike T in PA

SF Muni's Market St. Railway has a Russian tram that had wood bearings - for real - I was told at the speeds they ran in Russia the wood was adequate. Maybe someone from SF can tell us if it still has the wood bearings and how it does or did with them.

The Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Speaking of wood for bearings- probably the best stuff is "lignum vitae". It was commonly used for things such as propulsion shaft bearings in ships. It is extremely hard and dense and is somewhat self-lubricating, especially in water. Unfortunately, it's now a hard-to-get tropical wood. I saw a board (~4"x6"x3') at a tractor show in Asheville, NC a few years ago marked ~$125. Lignum vitae may be more expensive than brass by now.

The Ultimate Steam Page
whodom@awod.com

There is a website for lignum vitae for of all things, bearings.

Richard Wilkens

> Speaking of wood for bearings- probably the
> best stuff is "lignum vitae". It
> was commonly used for things such as
> propulsion shaft bearings in ships. It is
> extremely hard and dense and is somewhat
> self-lubricating, especially in water.
> Unfortunately, it's now a hard-to-get
> tropical wood. I saw a board
> (~4"x6"x3') at a tractor show in
> Asheville, NC a few years ago marked ~$125.
> Lignum vitae may be more expensive than
> brass by now.


http://www.lignum-vitae.com

> Our resident machinist has a relative with a
> bronze foundry. Toppy took the undamaged
> brass I removed from the car to replicate
> it. However, I anticipate him taking several
> weeks to get this done. The idea of
> borrowing the bearings from a car I
> *thought* was identical was to get the dump
> car moving dirt again.

Matt; If you have problems getting a new one cast let us know. I have a fried 20T brass that
I found on an abandoned ROW. It didn't run long before it was detected so while the babbit is gone the brass is in good shape with only a little shiney streak in the top where the journal ran. It weighs about 9lbs without the babbit.
There are a couple of brass foundries within
50 miles of here where I could get castings made.
I believe the babbit could be wiped in like a plumber's joint or it could be poured to a mold
and then machined a few thousandths larger than the axle journal to make a satisfactory bearing
especially considering the speed it will operate at.
Jim


rrfanjim@mvn.net

A friend of mine has a chunk of lignum he is willing to sell, it is around 3"x5"x5". He can probably special order more, it is difficult and dangerous to work with and must only be worked wearing a true respirator. Anyone who would like this piece can e-mail me and I will put you in touch with him. It may also be possible to purchase it through a store called Woodcraft in the Crosspoint shopping center in Centerville, Ohio.
Just Train Crazy,

-Angie

Ladypardus@cs.com