Does any one out there know if there is anyone that still makes journal bearing brasses for old friction bearing equipment? I know that if you have some old ones that you can get new ones cast, but is there a manufacturer that still makes and stocks them? I have a situation where there is a need to move some old equipment, but the brasses have been stolen out of all of the journals, and until we replace them, obviously we cannot move the equipment.

elueck,

The Seashore Trolley and Illinois Railway Museums have been expirmenting with high density plastic for their street cars bearings.

You might try contacting Donald Curry at Seashore.
for the name of the supplier.

I don't know if the material is strong enough for railroad loads which are higher than for light rail.

But it is cheaper and maybe will last a short time for your planned move. If the move is really short like just onto a truck; then you can use wooden ones.

Ted Miles

Plain bearing journal brass are made by Mid-West Locomotive and Machine Works, PO Box 114, North Lake, WI, 262-853-9662. Multi-Service Supply, Leeetsdale, PA, 412-741-1500 may have some in stock.

We have used UHMW (ultra high molecular weight) polyethylene for bushings or spacers to center the armatures in electroliner motors. Sort of a thrust bearing. But no use that I am aware of for shaft or axle bearings of any kind, at IRM.

Bob Kutella

If you decide to cast new brasses and/or re-line old ones, the ASTM specs. are still there for the babbit. I do not have access to the specs. at the moment since I am away, and I forget the numbers. They are easy enough to find using the ASTM index.

Along the same lines, does anyone know a source for the axle seals that slide in the slot in the back of the journal box? Most of these have disappeared through age and use, and operators often fill enough oil into a box that it simply runs out the back around the axle. (Not trusting the packing to apply the oil to the axle)

Late in the game I have seen catalog cuts for molded plastic (probably nylon) inserts. We have fudged hardwood and plywood inserts, copying them from those found in trolley car journals circa 1950. We have experimented with riveting several laminations of felt.

But twould sure be nice to buy some purpose designed inserts.

Bob Kutella

Bob;

The device you are refering to is the "dust guard". It is there to keep dirt out of the jorunal box. It was never intended to keep the oil in. The proper way to add oil to a journal box is to add oil until it just touches the button on the end of the axle. With waste packed boxes this would not have been an issue as the waste was packed much higher and much tighter in the box than with pads. I always prefered the pads as they provide room for more free oil in the box. The standard dust gurad is a piece of wood with a hole in it. In some cases there was a leather or rubber seal stapled or tacked to the wood that actually contacted the axle to make a tight seal. There are both AAR and AEREA standards for these wood dust guards. I doubt that any company in this county makes the plastic dust guards any more. Your best chance to find them would be to try Unity Railway Supply Company in Bensenville, IL.

We deal with Unity all the time and in fact are expecting a quote for some new pads right now. No luck on the 'dust seals'. The problem we have experieced with wood ones is - which way the grain runs. In one direction they split vertically, but you can see that split. The other grain direction, they are broken, you do not know it, and cannot get the bottom half out.

I agree on the fill level, but it is hard to convince some people. The problem seems worse on tank cars where the trucks, boxes, etc are more exposed to weather. During our annual inspection and maintenance, the oil level looks fine, but a closer inspection reveals the bottom half of the box is filled with water. As it accumulates, the heavier water displaces the oil upward where it exits the back of the box.

Almost all of our friction bearing freight cars now use pads. But some of the smaller bearing sizes on trolleys, for instance, are packed with hand tied bundles of virgin wool waste.

Bob Kutella

Try these folks out. They Make the bearings that multi service(and others) sell.
http://www.magnus-farley.com/index.php

Also, the can still supply the wedges as well as the roller bearing adapters that will fit a friction box. Some where I have a D&RGW friction bearing new in the magnus box from sometime in the late 50's. Cool stuff, gave one to a friend of mine for a door stop.