Is there a relatively easy way to replace the APEE bearings with NFL freight car bearings? I've heard that APEE's are becoming more difficult to find; perhaps they are not even being made anymore since Amtrak is moving, or has moved away from them...I haven't researched that yet, but the question remains, is it possible and is it a relatively east change-out to replace APEE's with NFL's when necessary?

As a "for-instance," let's say you have a post-war Budd car built in 1949 that still has the original trucks and disk brakes but was adapted for APEE's. What options exist for replacing bearings when the time comes? If you are replacing a wheel set and NFL's are the only thing available, how different are the adapters for the truck pedestals for the NFL's to work and fit properly?

I know that is a multi-faceted question with probably lots of variables, but direction to a good resource on the subject would be appreciated.

I'm not familiar with the construction of the various roller bearings, so forgive the appearance of (if not actual) ignorance in this regard! Just consider it "planning ahead."

Stephen, group,

After looking at the options, we have a car set of 6 1'2" x 12" AP-K bearing wheelsets for the Fort Benning. Two axles on 5 1/2" x 10 centers and two on 6x11 centers. The AP-K bearing is the direction the industry is trending, parts are fairly plentiful and getting more so all the time. The AP-K bearing gives you the flexibility to do the 5 1/2 x 10 centers which the older 6 1/2" x 12" F bearing, long the 100 ton standard, won't do. The cost of making the adapters is a wash whether you're converting to AP-EE or AP-K.

Two other random bearing comments:

1) Contrary to what you read elsewhere on the inter-web ALL rotating end bearings ARE NOT AP-EEs. AP = bearing type, the letters after the hyphen indicate a size. I love the pictures I see sometimes of an AP-D in a heavyweight and a written description that calls it an AP-EE. <Yes, I am well aware that there are 2 sizes of EE bearings.>

2) Till my dying day it will piss me off that some dumb son of a bitch put ATF in his Hyatts and screwed over those of us that like and use them.

ETA
Soap Box, TN

P.S. Excellent question BTW, and if I can be of assistance, I'd be glad to share the engineering data or help source the parts/assemblies.

I recently spoke with Timken (3 weeks ago) and the delightful person on the other end of the phone said that they corporately would like to know where these rumors are coming from regarding dropping bearing sizes. The fact of the matter is they are used in applications far beyond railroad.
They suggested that all should refer to their bearing selection guide as it is current and "they have no intention of discontinuing any sizes currently active".

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/be ... ring.aspx#

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/Do ... atalog.pdf

FYI

Actually what Mr. Alcos means is 6.5x9.........not 6.5x12. But hey..........what can you expect from a locomotive guy. Norfolk Southern has done the same conversion to some of their office cars where 5 1/2x10's have been replaced with 6 1/2 x 9 freight bearings.

And Jason.........I didn't have time to go through your attachments but at a glance I saw nothing that mentioned the EE bearing. My guess is the nice person on the other end doesn't know what an EE bearing was.

Jason, thanks for posting the links. I looked at the website link first and Timken does still reference the AAR Class EE bearings along with B, C, D, E, F, G and GG classes. It also notes "Multiple bore sizes available" for the EE and GG class bearings.

The other link to the manual seems to not have any reference specifically to the AP-EE bearings, nor does it reference passenger cars as an application, at least as far as I could see.

Thanks to everyone for your responses so far. Seems there are some viable alternatives out there.

Mr. Alcos shouldn't be typing about technical subjects at the end of a 15 hour day....

Yes I meant to say 6.5x9 AP-K bearing.

I think there are some parts aspects of the 5.5x10 AP-EE that are no longer supported. They can be rebuilt, but you may loose a complete bearing at rebuild over an otherwise simple part.

ETA

There is a big difference between available and affordable.

I haven't bought any wheelsets in quite a while since I took the pledge. . . ., but back in the day a reconned EE was $1000 and a reconned AP-E or F was only $250. And I am sure it has not gotten any cheaper.

I have been talking with someone who is looking to build some NG trucks. He says it is very difficult to get AP 5x9's but relatively easier to get 5 1/2 x 10's. So again, even though the capacity is not needed, he is leaning toward the larger bearings.

Steve

I never said adorable ;-) I'm not sure if reconditioned EE bearings are available or not, in other sizes (which I have priced in recent times) they recertified bearings are about 40% of new.

Thoughts or insight, Mr. Z?

Hah-hah, Steve, that's funny. That's a wagon I've fallen off quite a few times ... Calling up Rocky, the pusher, "Man, I need some wheelsets. Whaddya got?"

Mine was Frank, Sr., located more on your end of the commonwealth.

I really do not have any good insight for the present. I was somewhat serious about the pledge. Since I was an independent contractor in the railroad business at the time I took my present commission, I had to sign an agreement to sever all of my commercial ties to the business within nine months of taking the job, which entailed selling my share of my private railcar business and donating my restored caboose to a worthy railroad museum. So I do not have any present reference for good prices or connections to help further on this one.

Steve