Information on modernising older freight cars

[Patrick Ryan]

I recall reading somewhere that friction bearings were banned sometime in the mid 70’s, is this correct or did just relate to mainline use?
In terms of Missouri Pacific did they replace friction bearing trucks off older equipment or did they relegate them off the mainline to work train and branch-line service.

I model the 79 to 81 period so I am trying to work out what was prototypical in terms of the older freight cars.

Also did they remove roof walks off the older box cars and lower the brake wheels.

Thanks
Andrew

[princessclyne69]

Andrew:

There’s a summary of major rule changes nationwide, with dates, on the STMFC site, under Files. It’s in three different file types.

https://realstmfc.groups.io/g/main/filessearch?p=name%2C%2C%2C20%2C1%2C0%2C0&q=AAR+rules

If you have trouble reaching this site, let me know and I’ll send you a copy of that file separately.

In the US, the Interstate Commerce Commission and, later, the Federal Railroad Administration, made rules that applied to all railroad activities (federal law), while the Association of American Railroads made rules that primarily affected car construction by allowing one railroad to refuse to accept a car in interchange if it didn’t conform. This had the effect of outlawing most non-conforming practices since most freight cars were in unrestricted service. Sorry if this explanation is too high level.

Now to the particulars.

By the 79 to 81 period, the removal of roofwalks was largely completed. MP did this as frequently as any other major railroad.

Friction bearing (plain bearing) trucks were still common on older cars. They weren’t outlawed in interchange until 1991. The re-equipping of older cars with roller bearing trucks had not really begun.

MP did still own a significant number of 40′ boxcars, mainly used in grain service on several branchlines with light rail that could not accommodate those 100 ton covered hoppers. Some of these cars could have been, in effect, not used in interchange if they shuttled between country grain elevators and larger terminal elevators that were still on MP rails.

Another separate artifact of this period is the yellow-dot rule, in effect from 1978 to 1981, requiring inspection of all freight cars for the presence of certain outlawed wheel types (necessitated by failures). Most freight cars would have acquired either the white dot or yellow dot on black square during this period. The two-panel COTS stencil would have been prevalent on cars by this time.

In 1970, on the St. Louis-Texarkana train, I met a guy who was an MP employee, naturally traveling on a pass, who would have preferred to have been on Delta Airlines. He had until recently been a passenger car inspector, but had taken another job as an AAR inspector, focusing on compliance with those AAR rules.

Regards,

RG7
mopacfirst AT gmail DOT org

[Patrick Ryan]

Thank you for your response. It was most helpful, I had not realized that the friction or plain bearings were in interchange use up to 1991, I guess there not many left by then.

Regards
Andrew

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