We have been having trouble finding anyone to COTS our 14EL brake system from our 44 tonner. Several vendors have told us recently that seals are no longer available from the manufactures.

Does anyone have any advice on who will still actually do this work or who may make aftermarket gasket and seal sets? Can these gaskets be made from sheet stock or are they molded rubber? I have yet to tear ours apart to check for fear that I may tear gaskets and ruin them.

Try Multi Service Supply
http://www.multiservicesupply.com/

Mike Tillger

Pittsburgh Air Brake has always done ours and never mentioned anything about parts becoming hard to find. We just had it done this year too.

I tried hard to use PABCO at one point, they would not answer their phones or respond to emails. I won't darken their doorstep again.

I called Multi-Service and had excellent knowledgeable service with no hassle whatsoever. The sent me diagrams and helped me pick out what I needed, even when they were well informed that I was working with a museum and our volume of business was minuscule.

We have also had excellent fast response from Multiservice for all of our brake valve needs. Another source for brake valve seals and other railroad car molded plastic parts is Durox Co. in Strongsville,OH 440 238 5350. They supply WABCO with seals and gaskets. We were able to buy the molded plastic clamps that hold the HEP cables from them about a month ago.

I couldn't find any either for our 43 tonner also with a 14EL brake, so I ended up making our own out of neoprene roofing material. Maybe not as ideal as factory gaskets, but they work just fine. I used the old ones as patterns.

I have recently ordered the rubber gaskets direct from Wabco. There may be a few items no longer available, but all of the rubber should be. Multi service Supply has been very good about unit exchange or repair and return for all of the 14el stuff that we run.

Pat
BSOR

My understanding is that Wabco (old name is Westinghouse Air Brake Co.) is making a number of rubber and other parts just to make sure that the correct ones are available and users do not have to substitute home-made copies that might fail. Wabco has its reasons.

Some of the "obsolete" gaskets are made in the prototype shop and not on the production line.

Anybody know the approximate cost to have a 14EL brake stand and a 6E control valve rebuilt?

Somewhere around $400 for both the automatic and independent and about the same for a 6k distributing valve, a 6N distributing valve is about $100 less than the 6K, if my memory serves me correctly. Why not just call or email one of the vendors and get a quote?
Mike Tillger

Those jibe with the numbers I was hearing...

Thanks for the advice guys. We have been in touch with Multi Service and have prices now. Looks like it is going to be about $1,500-$2000 depending on options to renew everything on the loco.