Shoes!

[CNW_6000]

While freezing my tail off railfanning today I decided to pay more attention to the rolling stock (cars) than I usually do. One of the things I noticed was the different brake shoes specified by the stencil on the sides of the cars. Sometimes the same type of car (same road name, similar number series, same type of car) called for two differing shoes. The stencils I saw were:
-2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

What is the difference (other than size 1.5" & 2") between these brake pads/shoes? Are any ‘superior’ in the amount of braking when properly installed on the proper application?

[carknocker1]

2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

---

2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

The red tread guard shoes are designed to reduce wheel wear ,especially Shelling on the wheels

or when wheels are beginning to Shell to slow down the shelling .

( Shelling is when pieces of the wheels tread comes off the tread leaving small craters in the wheels )

[CNW_6000]

2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

---

2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

The red tread guard shoes are designed to reduce wheel wear ,especially Shelling on the wheels

or when wheels are beginning to Shell to slow down the shelling .

( Shelling is when pieces of the wheels tread comes off the tread leaving small craters in the wheels )

Great info. Is there any reason why the same type of car would have differing shoes?

[Bob-Fryml]

2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES
-2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

---

2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

-1 1/2 IN HF COMP SHOES Standard Shoe

2 IN RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN (COBRA) RED TREADGUARD SHOES
-2 IN TREADGUARD SHOES

The red tread guard shoes are designed to reduce wheel wear ,especially Shelling on the wheels

or when wheels are beginning to Shell to slow down the shelling .

( Shelling is when pieces of the wheels tread comes off the tread leaving small craters in the wheels )

Great info. Is there any reason why the same type of car would have differing shoes?

Cars of the same mechanical design and sharing a common series of reporting marks may have all been equipped originally with the same brand of brake shoes. Years later the car owner discovers a better brand of brake shoe and adopts that newer design as the standard. As each car in the series works its way across a rip track,

• the car knockers will change the stencil prescribing the proper the brake shoes to apply, and
• they’ll also apply the newly designed brake shoes.

Eventually all of the cars probably will have the newer brake shoes applied.

[CNW_6000]

Makes sense Bob, thanks.

Does the same apply to locos?

[Bob-Fryml]

Makes sense Bob, thanks.

Does the same apply to locos?

Yes, I should think so. But do keep this idea in mind: railroads want to keep their parts inventories manageable. If I were the Chief Mechanical Officer of a Class 1 railroad, I’d want to standardize on as a few a number of locomotive brake shoe styles and compositions as possible. Higher volumes of one or two styles purchased translates into economies of scale and that would help keep the budget under control.