Abstract: A railway vehicle truck bolster friction shoe pocket includes a sloped rear wall and longitudinally spaced sidewalls depending from the rear wall to form a friction shoe pocket having open top and bottom ends for receiving a variable rate type of friction shoe. During rotation and translation of the bolster with respect to the truck sideframe, the outboard friction shoe pocket sidewall is repeatedly impacted by the outer and upper corner of the friction shoe. The impacting causes protuberances to form in the outboard sidewall, but only on the upper portion of the wall. The same sidewall is provided with a relieved section across the entire sidewall upper portion in order to eliminate the impact contact area between the upper portion of the friction shoe and the upper portion of the outboard sidewall. Eliminating the contact area eliminates the formation of protuberances and extends the life of the bolster.

Abstract: In an articulated connection, an improved female connecting member of the type having a ring seat within an annular groove is provided having an access passageway extending from an exterior surface of its front wall to a position at the annular groove which is covered by the ring seat. The access passageway provides for insertion and wedging of a tool between the ring seat and the floor of the annular groove to eject the ring seat from the annular groove during disassembly and maintenance of the articulated connection.