" From: JOE FULTON <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx> " " [] " " I can remember those huge rail bogies with TIMKEN cast " into the axle housing. i'm sure i've seen timkens, but i remember the triangular 'skf' logos better. before the timkens, railroad truck axle bearings were journals, like engine bearings but without an oil pump. they depended on the motion of the axle to self-lubricate, so more starting torque than running torque was needed. it really was a big deal when charles atlas pulled a boxcar with his teeth... a hot box of course is when lubrication failed for any reason. at worst it could seize, and that could indeed cause a derailment. in a roller bearing such as the timkens or skfs, oil serves more as coolant than lubrication. interesting that brakemen were trained to recognize hot boxes by -sound-. ________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Hay the genius nature internet rambler is to see what all have seen adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and think what none thought _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list