I’ve done some searching on the topic of bolsterless locomotive trucks and have become thoroughly confused. Do they have a centering pin or not? If not what is the mechanism for them to swivel of turns? I know the load is carried largely by the rubber snubbers(?) what holds the truck in place under load. I’ve received some very good, concise answers to my posts in the past and I’m counting on you guys to help me out of this muddle.
Joe
For reference, take a look at this link:
In the descriptions here, both Bradken designs of bolsterless locomotive trucks have centering pins -according to their description - that transmit tractive/braking forces to the locomotive. The bolsterless designation refers to the fact that the weight of the locomotive is supported by springs that transfer the force from the locomotive frame directly to the truck frame instead of through a traditional bolster. This means the the springs not only deflect vertically for traditional suspension, but also deflect horizontally on curves, etc.
Just for fun, information on the bolsterless trucks used on Bullet Trains can be found at:
http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr19/pdf/Technology.pdf
This alludes to the fact that the term “bolsterless” also refers to the fact that a bolster is not required on the car frame. If you think of a typical american railcar, the word bolster is used for both the cross member on the truck assembly between the sideframes and the cross member on the car’s frame that is support
James,
Thanks for the clarification and the links. They really helped to clarify things for me. I appreciate you taking the time to put together the concise, clear explanation. This forum and it’s members continue to amaze me with their depth of knowledge and willingness to share it.
Joe