TRRS 504: Railcar Wheel Replacement
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 тра 2017
- 31 March 2017 - Janesville, Wisconsin
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Wheel Changeout
Steel wheels on steel rails is a great way to move a lot of freight, but those wheels better be circular! From time to time, wheels must be changed out due to defects, particularity for flat spots. Usually the result of the car being dragged with the brakes still applied, the spots are cause for concern as they can do damage to track and lead to wheel failures.
For this two-bay covered hopper, a wheel impact detector, a high-tech piece of wayside defect detection, caught it leaving Chicago thumping along. So when the car arrived at the Wisconsin & Southern's Janesville yard, it was kicked to the repair track for a new set of wheels.
Watch as the carmen show off the wheel replacement process to the next generation of railroaders from Michigan Technological University's Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC).
How are railcar trucks connected to the cars? What parts make up a truck? How do they swap out wheels? All of those questions and more in this 504th episode of the Thornapple River Rail Series.
NOTE: this film was taken and published with the permission of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad. All individuals on the tour wore proper PPE and had authorization to be on property - the WSOR and TRRS remind all to NEVER TRESPASS on the railroad. It's dangerous, it's illegal, and it makes the job much more stressful. Don't do it!
Does railroad engineering sound like a career path for you? Check out Michigan Tech's railroad program by following the link below!
www.rail.mtu.edu
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: They forgot the cotter pin in the brakes!
A: We know. They did it after filming finished as part of doing the rest of the brake hook-ups
Q: They forgot to put the brakes back in!
A: Same as before, this was done after. It is best to install the brake shoes after the car has been put back down and reloaded the truck, otherwise stuff will not line up quite right. Everything will have to be adjusted for the new wheel treads anyway.
Q: Did anybody see that graffiti on the car behind the camera?
A: Everybody saw it.
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Videography Equipment:
-Primary: Sony FDR-AX53 4K Camcorder
-Edited with: Cyberlink PowerDirector 13
Copyright 2017 Thornapple River Rail Series by Alex Christmas and published with permission of the WSOR.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: They forgot the cotter pin in the brakes!
A: We know. They did it after filming finished as part of doing the rest of the brake hook-ups
Q: They forgot to put the brakes back in!
A: Same as before, this was done after. It is best to install the brake shoes after the car has been put back down and reloaded the truck, otherwise stuff will not line up quite right. Everything will have to be adjusted for the new wheel treads anyway.
Q: Did anybody see that graffiti on the car behind the camera?
A: Everybody saw it.
Q: How are the trucks held onto the car and wheels to the truck?
A: Gravity. There is nothing holding them together otherwise. In large derailments it is common to see them separate from the carbodies. This is largely why the trucks have the car numbers stenciled on them.
Q: Why are the wheels being changed?
A: A wayside defect detector sensed the thumping caused by the flat spots on all four axles, likely a result of dragging brakes. All four axles were replaced.
One more please. How much does a single axle/wheelset weigh?
@@frankroberts9320 somewhere around 1500 lbs IIRC
I seen this after I made the comment about the key..
I think you should pin this comment. I was searching comments to see if anybody noticed the missing cotter pin. The standing ovation made me a bit nervous...
@@xpepos Thought I did...should be now
My dad, the nicest and kindest person ever, did this job for over 25 years in Russia. He passed away in 09'. I miss him every day. Unfortunately I've never seen him perform his duties. I'm very sentimental around trains and it was so great to see what he did at work by watching your video. Thank you for the video! Made my day🥰
My late little brother worked for UP for 20 years. He drove trains for 10 years. He died from cancer in 2021 3 weeks before Christmas at 57. I watch these because it makes me think of him. Hats off to your dad!
I know that, to millions of people, this video would be a bore. I'm retired and now have time to see things I've always wanted to see. This was a great joy for me. Thank you for sharing.
Randall MacDonald At 74, I second your comment.
ditto
No way in hell this is a bore, I'm a backyard mechanic and this is awesome after working on just automotive wheels for 40+ years! Seeing and hearing these big suckers gets everyone's attention.
It seems that 4 million share your joy.
Men at work
Man - Love watching how different people round the world do jobs in different lines of work. Respect to all these professionals!
7 million views. While it's not a very complex operation, it's impressive how well everyone worked together. Smooth, calm, and efficient, but still disciplined and safety conscious. Optimal.
Man this video transported me back to the year 2000 when I was working for Gunderson rail road services at Cleburne TX. I remember doing all this things, changing wheels, slop plates, broken springs, brake shoes, cylinders, horizontals, marking axle location, besides that, repairing the car itself, like changing running boards, cross over boards, changing broken parts, welding parts that needed to be welded, painting what ever needed to be painted, that was something that I really didn't like doing, because I was a welder, but now that I'm watching this video 23 years later, I wanted to do it again, if I could do it again I definitely would enjoy it for sure
Has anyone took a moment to admire the abstract art in the background? After you see it, you can't unsee it!
Since the dawn of time...
8===D
Wow Just noticed it now that you pointed it out.. Wonder if anyone onsite noticed that was a good spot to film lol
I saw a pee pee, tee hee!
My dad still works in the railways for over 25 years now. I'm so proud of all the people who hard to keep our nations moving.
Lol this brought back memories. When I started out in engineering one of my first jobs was cutting these wheels up with a gas torch. I'd start with cutting the tires off then the wheels themselves, then the axles into foot long lengths for scrap. I worked in the workshops for five years seeing all manner of jobs being done. Drop hammers straightening out red hot bent couplings. Reconditioning engine bogeys. Fitting out passenger and freight cars. And I got a huge appreciation for just how fast a forge can heat steel. Heck they'd beat my big gas torch hands down... I finished as a boilermaker with all my tickets in welding and steel fabrication.
@mistermodified1 Which is what I thought at the time, but what do I know? The boss says cut em up so I cut em up...
@mistermodified1 at least steel is a lot more recyclable than vulcanized rubber
Those bearings are Brenco 6 1/2X9 K Class 100 ton bearings. The lubrication specifications on them are 12 oz, +or- 1 oz. They are a product of Amsted Industries out of Chicago Illinois. I know those bearings well, I am a retired quality assurance auditor with both Amsted and Progress Rail Services. The wheels could be Griffith Wheels made by the same company, Amsted Industries. They are probably changing out the wheel sets due to a hot box or a flat spot on the wheels.
Brenco K and F Class bearings have the same cone assemblies (the part that has the inner raceway, rollers, and roller cage) but the cup or the outer ring on K Class bearings are much shorter than those of the F Class. Also, the seals, wear rings, backing rings, and spacers are smaller in K Class bearings than they are with F Class bearings. F Class bearings have a lubrication specification of 24 oz +or- 1 oz. Both class of bearings are interference fit on the axle journal, and the bolts have a torque of 420 f/lbs. F Class bearings can be either fitted or non fitted backing rings, while K Class bearings are fitted.
The roller cages on K Class bearings were manufactured with a polymide plastic, whereas F Class was formed from mild steel. Both K and F Class cone assemblies can have polymide cages, especially if they have been reconditioned within the past 15 to 20 years. The K Class bearing is called Generation 2000 bearings. They were designed and built to save weight and increase fuel efficiency. Most new car builds will incorporate Generation 2000 bearings. They are replacing the wheel sets with Timken AP-2s that are comparable with Brenco Generation 2000.
Wow Erica I am impressed! Thanks. Oh by the way..i use to have a gf named Arica. I remember getting her a birthday card and wrote Erica on it. I had been dating her for about 6 months and thought her name was Erica. Anyhow..she took a large magic marker and a huge piece of paper and printed "Arica" on it and showed it to me. Both names sound so much alike. I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Always check your gf's drivers license to make sure you get her name right. 😥
@@mr.wizard2974 dam you got off easy I had the same thing just a different names and shit I woke up with it in jiffie marker on my forehead it was there awhile lol even with gas trying to get it off so you were lucky you just got paper lol I got again when I forgot our anaversry
I believe the 6 1\2 by 9 bearings fail at a much higher rate than 12 in bearings. I saw a very high percentage of the bearing cages crack. The only reason they are used is to save money. The same for Cast Wheels compared to wrought wheels. If they really want safety a priority for Hazardous Tank Car loads they should probably require them to use wrought wheels and no 9 inch bearings .I showed the defective bearings and wheels to team on FRA Inspectors after a large hazardous tank car derailment .They were doing a big investigation spurred by the news media attention to Shale Gas Train Derailment and hazardous tank car safety . Cost savings always win out over safety when the railroads have enough lobbyist money to keep Federal Regulators on their side . I am no engineering regulator ,or anyone of importance .I just rebuilt rail cars after derailments,did heavy and running repairs,worked on wreck trains ,and changed out probably thousands of wheels for 42 years. You pick up a thing or two!
What is the average miles or time in service for the wheels or bearings?
The truck just sits on the bearings, no fixation, just gravity.
Amazing.
The only thing holding a tractor trailer's axles in place is a few leaf springs and the jaw that holds the the trailer king pin is only a few inches tall. Similar to how the rail wheel has a lip just a few inches big that keeps it not only on the rails, but stable.
At 7:15, some of the best and most gifted graphic artists in the world choose the side of a Wisconsin freight car to leave what some might consider the most eloquent creation of all time.
I was looking for the comment saying, "Great work, but peepee on train" haha
I thought it was a health and safety symbol😂
It's a mushroom😁
These are the guys who keep an entire economy, both national and local, rolling and rolling and rolling, day in, day out.
Pretty fascinating to see how relatively easy that is. Kudos to all the designers that have improved the system over the decades.
Yet anytime I work on one of my (much smaller) vehicles, I spend 50% of the job trying to remove a stuck, stripped, rounded, rusted, or broken bolt in an area that I can only reach if I cut the hell out of my hand, 45% looking for tools that have been moved by other people without telling me, and 5% actually fixing what I originally intended to fix.
@Efeso Comunidade Go away and quit shoving fictional bible crap down everyone’s throats.
Hi these men are hardworking younger and some older men that keep the goods and our economy flowing God bless them
Really good video! I truly enjoy learning new things. Impressed with the professionalism and safety mindedness. Thanks for sharing!
Reminds me of my old Amtrak days as a Carmen helper. I later transferred to an electrical apprenticeship. When I helped the Carmen I worked gears and couplers, diaphrams and some interior stuff. Good memories. You guys look like real pros!
this never gets old...i enjoy watching these guys replace train wheels.
As a former RCI for NYCTA (IRT) I can surely relate......Great job and great video! Thanks for the take us to work day experience! A lot goes on behind the curtain for things to happen out on the world stage and this is one of them......Thanks guys! STAY SAFE.
Hello RCI Fellow MTA Brother here. I work in stations and this vid was excellent to watch. Stay safe all out there.
Indian railways?
This is a fascinating video, especially for those of us who were lucky enough to ride trains as a primary means of transportation !
No music - but the soundtrack was still Heavy Metal. Awesome.
Funny!
EPIC
Good one Doug :-)
Presumbly he put the 3 jack safety stones on the other side as well?
Love your videos not only seeing them running but other parts like this maintenance
Thanks
Couldn't have said it any better😎
Man! I love all those "heavy metal" sounds. Good job boys💪
I'm an Aussie train buff. Thanks for sharing these top quality videos.
These humble hardworking guys are the unsung heroes that are the backbone of this country and keep the economy moving!
Excellent work process, fellas. Safe, steady and controlled with well skilled labour and sound lifting kit. Everyone gets to go home safely to their families each day. Thanks kindly for the insight.
P I’ll
The
I thought maybe OSHA might get angry starting around 2:14 with how the guy closest to the cameraman was walking backward in front of the truck wheels as it was rolled, and how he was straddling the rail with one foot on either side. You can see how the other guy helping to roll the truck was walking at the side of it. The truck is moving very slow but it's still heavy enough that if a guy were walking backward, accidentally catch his heel on a tie, & fall onto his back with the way he was straddling the rail, his manhood would be in a prime position to get pinched between the wheel & the rail.
I have seen something awesome ! Loved the entire operation. Hats off to the Engineers !! Live strong and HAPPY.
Great video! Loved the end when everyone applauded
Pretty simple straight forward...nice.
I used to do millwright work in large heavy industrial manufacturing plants....enjoyed the job and the people I worked with.
👍
I am absolutely stunned and amazed at how crystal clear this video is, It actually feels like you are there in person !
I always wondered about the wheels and the truck. I thought the axle rotating on the truck with NO Grease !
I can now see that there is some type of bearing on the axle.
No grease would be fun 😆
Thank goodness for the hard-working men the do the tough jobs that keep society moving. In this case literally.
I love this type of engineering works.
Thanks to all involved. Great camera work and the railroad workers carried out their task with professionalism. Good video for information. Thanks again.
I was a machinist at Trinity Steel in Irving TX. I worked on the axle set line. Turned the axle bearing journals and the tapers for the press fit of the wheels. Next station was the 3 drill and tap holes on each end of the axle to contain the big Timken Bearings. Next station was a vertical turning lathe where I machined the tapered bores of the wheels. The final station was pressing the wheels, record the tons of the press. Attach the bearings and roll them out the door. Lots of work. I was young, strong and nearly the only white dude working there. Haaaa It was a good job.
larry lund is correct i bored some wheels to the fit the axles really hard steel
Some of those old wheel axle assembly's are modified into mushroom anchors. The end bearings are cut off and one wheel is cut along the axle shaft and then slid over to the other side next to the other wheel and welded. A pad eye or metal loop is attached to the other end of the axle opposite from the wheels. When all of this is done you end up with a new twelve hundred pound mushroom anchor. All of this work is done prior to the mushroom anchors arriving to the ship. After loading up quite a few of them the vessel will sail to a NOAA weather buoy and remove the old bouy from the ocean via a deck crane and place it on deck. An underwater speaker is used to send a release signal to the end of the anchor rode (line) where the mushroom anchor that is attached to a release mechanism. All of the underwater instruments attached to the anchor rode come up. A new mushroom anchor is attached with new instruments, anchor rode and buoy. The buoy is removed from the vessels deck and lowered on to the ocean surface along with new instruments above and below the water and is allowed to float aft (behind) the vessel. When the correct amount of anchor rode is strung out depending on the depth, the new mushroom anchor is attached to a sound activated release mechanism. When everything has been checked and tested and found to be functional a hook called a pelican hook that is holding the mushroom anchor is released and the new mushroom anchor with anchor rode instruments attached is on its way to the bottom of the ocean. Yes weather buoys are anchored in the middle of the ocean and are used for weather research for such phenomena as the El Nino and La ninia weather patterns as well as predicting tidal waves also known as Tatsumis and seismic activity. No the old rail road wheels and axle are not recovered but remain on the bottom of the ocean for all time.
Very interesting , Thanks!
@@d.b.cooper7290 D.B., is that you?
We used them as base anchors for temporary tide gages while conducting hydrographic surveys with NOAA. I was told they weighed 750lbs each.
axle assemblies
Thank you for the information, all the best from Portugal.
As a train lover Mechanical engineering student, I can say that this video taught me more than 1 thing. Thank you.
Magnificent work. Great report. What a delight to witness!
Excellent sound quality adds a rich dimension to the video!! Thanks!
I wish there more videos like this one on the internet.. great content
It's nice to watch guys who know what they're doing.
@Efeso Comunidade Sorry I don't understand Portuguese.Please can you translate to English or Spanish.
Great video! Absolutely fascinating. Really respect those workers. Thank you so much.
Well, this clipping made me watch without a skip and certainly interested me a lot the way a quick change of replacement in real time. Great job!
This is totally awesome. Now I want to save up, or play for, some train rides on Amtrak here in the USA 🇺🇸 and take a train in Canada to see the Canadian Rockies!!😊
Thanks, videographers!!🌚
Fascinating (in Spock’s voice) to watch. As a soon to be Freight Conductor, I love to watch what other railroad professionals do, to keep the trains on the road!
I have worked on subway cars for 39yrs, and I enjoyed your video.
I've always been interested in the look of the wheel bearing area and the way the truck just comes down and sits unsecured on top of them. Good stuff!
How do you determine when a wheel pair need to be replaced?
What a lot of systems for a simply truck ! it is amazing.
Love heavy duty stuff, amazing job...
I just got done watching a video of Japanese rail and truck repairs with effeciency, speed, and with quality-checks. Compared to them, these guys are AIGHT. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Being retired as well, I have time to stop and ‘smell the roses’ too.
This kind of info never gets old - even to a dyed in the wool model railroader!
Many thanks to the carmen who let us watch them at work.
Nice to see working people being so PROFESSIONAL!
Good Times!
Take it easy once in a while?
Love,
David
First time I watched railway wheel replacement.Though it was a herculian task but modern technogy & eqipment made it very easy.
Technicians changing wheels might be a good theme for a diorama. I enjoyed watching.
great video. I live 10 miles from that yard, whenever I go through Janesville I turn up pearl street to see what's going on at the "yard".
It is good for many of the different crafts to see how each other do their jobs. I have noticed how a simple move like setting a B/O Car out can cause extra repair time. So we used to share info and try to work together make sure cars set out B/O were spotted in the best spot for MOW to have good footing and near where the repair trucks could get close to. Plus it shortens the amount of delay to the freight.
Teamwork - I like it! Here they were operating off the RIP track though. Gotta have the space when it comes to lifting the car off the trucks. Obviously Union Pacific thought of that at Bailey Yard, with track spacing so close they can change out wheels without even breaking the train in two, right on the run-through tracks!
Nice job and this was totally interesting and thank you for sharing this with the audience.
None of this looks hard it's actually pretty simple. Thanks for keeping the rail roads safe guys 👍🏼👍🏼😎✌🏼✌🏼
Great. Very interesting to see. Highly skilled personnel. Keep it up
love the high quality and frame rate. good job.
تصنع قطار
It's super cool to see skilled workers do their jobs.
So strong yet so simple, engineering well done.
*Nice video. Love from Vietnam. Thanks for sharing!*
Nice camera work. Didn't feel seasick once! Interesting how everything is held together with gravity.
I've always noticed that these things were held together primarily by sheer weight, just by looking at the axle ends, and the truck assembly that seemed to lay on top of the 'bearings'(?) at the ends of the wheels. This video verified that theory.
Have a Friend who would not believe me when I said the trucks just set on the axles, its rather strange to understand that some things need a little give to work properly.
@ss Held in place by a 3/4 inch pin, but I didn't see him use a cotter pin...
Like how helium balloons are "held" down? Without density where is "gravity"?
So good to see what goes on to keep railroad rolling stock rolling. And these guys obviously love their work
and they love trains. Yeah man, they were all having a wheely good time!!!
"they were all having a wheely good time", Oh cmon!
Excellent guys. Super efficient with the right tools. 1st time for me.
Very interesting. Thank you for posting.
Fuk
Tt
Wow, that's was interesting, thanks for sharing !
I worked with Wisconsin Southern and other railroads, these guys and others at some of the rip shops were incredible.
Soo Line
Major Respect for anyone doing that job.
Impressive how such a seemingly big maintenance task can actually be taken care of relatively quickly if you're as efficient as these guys. Also surprising how much older the replacement wheels look. I would've been dead wrong on guessing which wheels were 'good' and 'bad'. Makes sense in the end that use over time would polish the rust off, but still kind of surprising.
surface rust doesn't mean all that much as far as the mechanical condition.
I like the artwork on the railcar behind you guys when they were explaining the components of the rail wheel setup.
Worked as a machinist in the diesel shop for Amtrak many years ago, this is much easier than changing out the wheels on a locomotive. Required three trades, machinist, electrician, and pipe fitters.
Dream job for me right here! Always wanted to work on the railroad!
you can do it bro just apply a lot of places are hiring
Same
Thanks for showing me such interesting stuff that I would NEVER have the opportunity to see in person!
Nice job. Thanks to the authors of the clip and to the railroad workers too
I used to do this for N/S at the 103rd and dorty yard .so Chicago. But it was night shift my whole body aches watching them. God bless.
Real, American workers right there folks.
Nice job.
Grazie
Some of the working people who make America Great, Kudos.☺
You dudes doing the work look very professional
We should all have great respect for the field personnel of the Car Department who have to do maintenance in a non-sheltered environment under all types of precipitation, temperature and time-of-day conditions. 2017/05/26.
No doubt. Necessary job that somebody's gotta do. Mike Rowe would be proud.
i dont think you have enough azz to do it
Paul-André Laro
*Thanks! We should all have great respect for the field personnel*
Ha , nobody cares at least until you or someone else gets hurt . When I started I was told "it doesn't rain on the railroad it rains on you". I'm still getting rained on.
I watched because I was wondering why it took 20 min to do a wheel change. The adapter straps work well but I believe it is bad practice not inspecting the adapters when you have the wheels out. And you might save yourself some aggravation by blocking between the truck side and the bolster before you take the weight off unless you are going to change out a spring. I cant say I miss working on an outside rip track. Stay warm and Stay safe. From a retired carknocker @ CN GO
Why it took 20 minutes that’s good time they did good work. The wear plate adapter straps are genius save you some time we have to take them out and inspect plus we put a car horse under the car.
Great video, never seen this before. I have learnt something new. Thanks.
Great video, I often wondered how they do that!
beautiful work, i love it
These men work together as a team. 👍.
Got to love the artistic touch with the in the background on the adjacent rail car.
Fantastic. Great insight to a part of railroading not normally seen. Thanks for sharing. 🚂
This is the only rebuilding process that I’ve seen where the finished unit looks older than the original unit did. Rust is no indicator of age.
I know, right? It seems weird to have the new wheelsets be the ones that look all grody.
Must've been stored in a warehouse that had a lot of moisture.
@@randomkitty2555 Judging from all the railyard pics and vids i have encountered in my life, they are stored outside. Since surface oxidation is really no big issue, building a separate storage for them would be overkill. Excluding a siderail or two for them is cheaper. But that is just my couchpotato opinion, i'm not a rail worker.
@Yeti Manetti Double conical roller bearings. Apparently pregreased and sealed with given MMBF number. Google is your friend. :)
Correct, the roller bearings used do not require greasing - they almost always outlast the wheels. There are detectors every 20 miles on average on most railroads to sense warm/hot bearings, to catch any failures before they melt off the end of the axle and start a derailment. Bearing failures are pretty darn rare.
As for rust, it isn't a problem. It's just a thin layer of surface rust, which then protects the steel underneath. The treads will quickly be polished by rail/wheel interaction. The sides will remain covered in a thin rust layer and ultimately pickup a nice layer of dirt and grime, too. Hence, no need to keep them indoors...they'll be outdoors their entire career anyway! They are NOT painted as that makes it harder to detect cracks, and flaking paint traps water and speeds up rusting. Basically, the rust isn't a problem whatsoever.
Very cool video! Thanks for sharing!
these guys make changing those bogies easier than changing a tire on a car!
I just watched a video where they changed out the main landing gear of an Airbus A320, a video of the propeller being replaced on a ocean tanker, and now the changing of railcar wheels. Amazing thing, UA-cam.
Хорошая работа, парни!
wow, there's a lot to that operation. never knew. thank you.
Very interesting to watch now. I have done this 52 years ago while I was Mechanical Engineer for Railways in Africa, we had better jacks to lift the rail car and used to do it in side Workshop !
The workshop was huge
That was interesting! Thanks.
Always amazes me how powerful those jacks are.
strangely enough, my 3yo niece enjoy watching this video, thank you.
6.7 million people watched a couple of greasy Carman bang out a few wheel sets. Good job fellas, hard to do with all those eyes on you, anyone that says they could do it better would never do the job on video. Stay safe brothers
That yellow ring is a center plate liner. It helps reduce friction/wear between the center plate of the freight car and center bowl of the truck.