Steam & Excursion > Photos of 611's truck work

Taken from the Norfolk and Western Historical Society's Facebook page.

 

---

---

---

Part 2.

 

---

---

---

LOVE THEM BEAUTIFUL NEW GG BEARINGS, THE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED & FABRICATED SUPPORTUNG FRAME, AND THOSE BEAUTIFUL NEW WHEELS,  AXLES, AND GG BEARINGS SETS.

ASTOUNDINGINGLY TERRIFIC DESIGN, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND A SPECTACULAR COMBINATION OF ENGINEERING MARRIED WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE COMING RAW FORCES ---ASSOCIATED WITH GUIDING 611 SECURELY DOWN THE RIGHT OF WAY.

THIS IS WHERE THE THEORETICAL (DRAWING BOARD) MEETS THE MACHINE...... ITS A WONDER TO BEHOLD AS IT ALL COMES TOGETHER SMOOTHLY, WITHOUT A HITCH.

AGAIN, THIS  IS WONDEFUL TO SEE, IN THIS DAY & AGE....
THE FINISHED PRODUCT IS WORTH WAY MORE THAN THE ACTUAL COSTS.

ASTOUNDING!

GIVE SCOTT, AND THE WHOLE TEAM A RESOUNDING CHEER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND SUPERIOR, INNOVATIVE DESIGN SKILLS ------ THE BEST OF THE 1950s, BROUGHT BRILLIANTLY INTO THE 21st CENTURY.   

THERE'S MANY LESSONS TO BE LERANED, IN TODAY'S WORLD, FROM THIS GIANT LEAP FORWARD.

IN AMERICA, CAN WE STILL DO THIS KIND OF ENGINEERING?
YOU BETCHA!

AND, THE RESULT IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL ---- BETTER BEARINGS, BETTER DESIGN AND BETTER COST SAVINGS!  WOWW!

Wes C.

​( note to RR: Get these guys on the booster engine project under the 614...... W.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/16 13:22 by wcamp1472.

I enjoy your posts Wes, but I don't think BOLD CAPS is necessary as it just makes them harder to read. CAPS LOCK is of course the internet text equivalent of shouting. Bold even more so.

Thanks for sharring the photos Emmo213! I really hope I can make it out East to se her this year.

kurt765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I enjoy your posts Wes, but I don't think BOLD
> CAPS is necessary as it just makes them harder to
> read. 

Give us old farts a break, will you?  It sure as hell is a LOT EASIER TO READ!!!!!!

Interesting installation.  When we converted 1522's pilot truck, we had new boxes cast and used them.  Amtrak wheelsets/bearings.

Looks like the old style with the large castings would have been a huge PITA to change out. New design will be a lot easier to maintain and renew when the time comes.

So, showing my ignorance, why was this level of work necessary? Meaning, what they had was sufficient for her during her original service life and for her 2nd career so why the change now? It seems unlikely she's going to rack up more than 15,000 miles per month. I suppose this bodes well for her future but was it cost effective in the grand scheme of things?

What seems to be missing from the GG application: where are the bearing "adapters" ?
Typically, RR AP rollers are fitted with adapters which distribute the weight over the outer race, or the 'cup', And the adapters have a slight apex cast into the back (top ) of the adapter, which allows for the 'cross level' compensation, when one end of the axle is lower than the other ---- with waves in the track-work.

It looks like this application may be too cramped, or maybe the adapters are yet to be fitted.
An interesting application, regardless..

Wes C.

Emmo213 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, showing my ignorance, why was this level of
> work necessary? Meaning, what they had was
> sufficient for her during her original service
> life and for her 2nd career so why the change now?
> It seems unlikely she's going to rack up more than
> 15,000 miles per month. I suppose this bodes well
> for her future but was it cost effective in the
> grand scheme of things?

The N&W J Class locomotives were historically VERY hard on engine truck wheels. As a result if the stiff suspension design between the engine truck, the drivers, and the trailing truck, the wheels in the engine truck wore rapidly, plus the N&W Mechanical Department found very early on, that the J Class locomotives performed best with new wheels in the engine truck. Thus, the practice was established of have new wheels installed in the J's engine truck, and the worn wheels would be turned and then installed in the K Class engine truck, until finely totally worn out, i.e. no more wheel turnings remaining.

This work I think was more to do with replacing the wheels than bearings. The wheels where wore out and you can't buy strait plate wheels any longer . And the new wheels would not work on the old centers so new axles, bearings and boxes

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kurt765 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I enjoy your posts Wes, but I don't think BOLD
> > CAPS is necessary as it just makes them harder
> to
> > read. 
>
> Give us old farts a break, will you?  It sure as
> hell is a LOT EASIER TO READ!!!!!!

As a general FYI, in most cases you can increase your desktop display (zoom in) by hitting control and the plus key.