Abstract: A railway car truck is provided that includes two sideframes and a bolster. Each sideframe has a pedestal opening at each end to receive a bearing adapter assembly. The bearing adapter assembly includes a cast steel bearing adapter that is formed to fit on top of a bearing assembly. An adapter pad, comprised of a selected hardness elastomer, is fit on top of the bearing adapter. Protrusions extend from the adapter pad and are received in depressions in the bearing adapter to provide longitudinal stability for the adapter pad on the bearing adapter itself. Each adapter pad includes at least two wear tabs extending laterally outwardly from a top section of the adapter pad.

Abstract: Split wedges biased against sloped upper surfaces and the side walls of pockets in the ends of the bolster of a rail car truck are provided with non-metallic wear plates which interface with pocket side walls to reduce or eliminate pocket side wall wear. The wear plates are typically cast polymeric pads selected from the group comprising nylon, Delrin, UHMW and urethane, have a hardness in the range of between about 700° and 900° and a sliding coefficient of friction of about 0.10 to about 0.30. The pads are mounted in recesses within the sidewalls of the wedges and are held in place by means such as threaded fasteners for ease of replacement.

Abstract: A railway car truck is provided that includes two sideframes and a bolster. Each sideframe has a pedestal opening at each end to receive a bearing adapter assembly. The bearing adapter assembly includes a cast steel bearing adapter that is formed to fit on top of a bearing assembly. An adapter pad, comprised of a selected hardness elastomer, is fit on top of the bearing adapter. Protrusions extend from the adapter pad and are received in depressions in the bearing adapter to provide longitudinal stability for the adapter pad on the bearing adapter itself.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a center beam railway car adapted for reducing chafing between lading and a center beam structure of the railway car. According to an embodiment of the invention, lading may be stacked against rollers provided along the center beam structure to reduce friction between the center beam structure and the lading. In an embodiment of the invention, the rollers may be adapted to accommodate both horizontal and vertical relative movement between the lading and the center beam structure of the railway car.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a center beam railway car adapted for reducing chafing between lading and a center beam structure of the railway car. According to an embodiment of the invention, lading may be stacked against rollers provided along the center beam structure to reduce friction between the center beam structure and the lading. In an embodiment of the invention, the rollers may be adapted to accommodate both horizontal and vertical relative movement between the lading and the center beam structure of the railway car.

Abstract: In a freight car truck assembly, an insert for converting a substantially flat, inclined, bolster pocket back wall into a pair of inclined surfaces for biasing a pair of split wedges laterally outwardly against side walls of the bolster pocket to create a space between the pair of split wedges. The insert is provided with a centrally located fin which projects into the space between the split wedges and engages against a side frame friction surface to control the location of the insert in the bolster pocket through frictional interference as the fin rubs against the friction surface. The insert can be loosely mounted in the bolster pocket without any need for welding the insert in place.

Abstract: An improved adapter assembly for use in a railcar truck where an axle and bearing are loosely journaled in the pedestal area of a side frame, the adapter assembly being mounted above the bearing in the pedestal opening and including a novel adapter and a novel adapter pad which is mounted on top of the adapter, the adapter together with the bearing, axle and wheels being capable of predetermined lateral movement relative to the side frame.

Abstract: A sideframe pedestal jaw accommodates a bearing adapter which locks the adapter to the sideframe, thereby preventing it from all forms of movement within the pedestal jaw opening. Locking the bearing adapter forces the truck axles to remain at a right angle with respect to the sideframes. Maintaining this right angular relationship substantially curtails truck warpage, which induces wheel misalignment that leads to undesirable truck hunting and high speed instability.

Abstract: A telescoping bridge plate for auto rack railroad cars for supporting automobiles being driven between railroad cars comprises a top plate with corrugations providing top surfaces separated by grooves, with the top plate having an overlapping end portion and a locking end portion, a bottom plate with corrugations providing top surfaces which seat beneath the top surfaces of the top plate, and grooves which seat beneath the grooves of the top plate, with the bottom plate having an overlapping end portion and a locking end portion, and with the top plate overlapping end portion and the bottom plate overlapping end portion being in sliding overlapping engagement.

Abstract: In a railway car truck assembly, a bearing adapter assembly includes an adapter and an adapter pad positioned between the adapter and a corresponding side frame end. The adapter is provided at each longitudinal end thereof an adapter opening having a lateral dimension greater than the lateral width of a corresponding thrust lug in a corresponding pedestal opening at the corresponding side frame end. The adapter pad is provided with longitudinal end portions depending down into respective ones of the adapter openings and including thrust lug openings each having with a lateral dimension approximately equal to the lateral width of the corresponding thrust lug to prevent significant relative lateral movement between the corresponding side frame end and the adapter pad.

Abstract: A deck double plug assembly for plugging first inboard and second outboard deck holes in the deck of converted railroad autorack cars comprises a first plug connected to a second plug base assembly by a connector portion. The second outboard plug assembly is clamped to the deck to cover and plug the second outboard deck hole, whereby the deck plug assembly may be installed by one person. The method of installation from the top surface of the deck includes the steps of loosely assembling the second outboard plug assembly, holding the second deck plug assembly and pushing the first plug downwardly through the second outboard deck hole, inserting the first inboard plug into the first deck hole from underneath the deck, and clamping the second plug assembly to the deck surrounding the second deck hole.

Abstract: A wear liner for use in a railroad freight car between a truck bolster bowl and a car body center plate comprises a non-metallic wear liner bowl which has a horizontal bottom floor, and an upstanding circumferential side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom floor to a top flange which forms an upper rim. A sealing member extends outwardly from the upper rim and has an upper lip which extends outwardly and upwardly to contact a base shoulder of the center plate. The sealing member also has a lower lip that extends outwardly and downwardly to contact a top shoulder of the truck bolster bowl. The floor and circumferential side wall of the wear liner are made of a harder synthetic resin plastic material than the synthetic resin plastic material of which the softer sealing member is made. The composite sealing member lips are outboard of the side wall of the car body center plate and the truck bolster bowl so as to be out of the way when the center plate is being lowered into the truck bowl.

Abstract: An improved adapter assembly for use in a railcar truck where an axle and bearing are loosely journaled in the pedestal area of a side frame, the adapter assembly being mounted above the bearing in the pedestal opening and including an adapter plate which is mounted on the top of the adapter, the adapter together with the bearing and axle being capable of lateral movement relative to the side frame.

Abstract: A pellet gate, or valve, assembly to control pneumatic discharge of pellets from a hopper car. The inclined side walls of the hopper terminate in spaced edges forming a valve gap, with a semi-cylindrical trough extending below the valve gap. Centered in the valve gap is a valve rod having an axis which is spaced above the axis of the trough. The rod has oppositely facing longitudinal grooves defining a figure eight cross section and mounted for rotation from a valve-closed position to a valve-open position in which the grooves of the rod face the opposed edges of the hopper side walls for passage of the pellets. A cylindrical control collar is coaxially mounted at the end of the trough for rocking movement. A geared connection is interposed between the control collar and the end of the valve rod so that rocking movement of the control collar is effective to rotate the rod between its open and closed conditions.

Abstract: A cushion assembly having an outer cylinder and a metering cylinder extending between end caps and defining an annular reservoir therebetween with communication being provided by metering orifices distributed along the length of the metering cylinder. A piston is slideable in the metering cylinder having a first piston rod connected to one side and a second piston rod of hollow construction connected to the other side, the first piston rod having a head at its outer end. The head and the first end cap define a gap between them when the first piston rod is in its contracted state. Stop members on the slideable sill and frame of the car occupy normal side by side positions in register with one another in the gap, so that a shock applied to the sill in either direction causes the stop members to shift out of register with one another elongating the gap so as to tension and extend the first piston rod.

Abstract: An outlet gate assembly for a hopper car including a frame at the bottom of the hopper with a door plate slidable therein. A pair of laterally spaced racks extend cantilever fashion from one side of the frame. A transversely extending operating shaft, mounted in brackets secured to the door plate, carries pinions which engage the teeth of the racks so that as the operating shaft is turned the pinions walk along the racks thereby imparting sliding movement to the door plate. A latch shaft extending parallel to and below the level of the operating shaft mounts, in radial position, a pair of latches having hooked portions underlying the respective racks so that when the door plate is open the latches are blocked from moving into latching position by the underside of the racks and so that when the door plate is closed the hook portions of the latches engage the ends of the racks to lock the door plate in its closed position.