The Locomotive Of Today

The Framing, Wheels, etc. : Axleboxes, Wheels. 129 To prevent dust, etc., from getting into the end of the box nearest the whsel wherc it is open, a, flat pisce of vulca,nite or other suitable material, with a hole cut through it for the axle, is fitted into grooves formed in the box and keep. In order to get over knock due to side wear a box with side adjusting bearings is used on some French railways. It is illustrated in section at E. The box is similar in shape to the last example, but is fitted with a crown brass and a fixed side brass on one side, that upon the other being adjustable to the journal by means of a wedge, which is held by a bolt passing through a lug cast upon the bottom of the casing, and having check nuts upon each side of it. A keep, supported by two pins as before, contains the padding-, etc., which is held up against the lower part of the journal by wings pro- jecting into the oil space. Ihe spring pin takes a bearing- in the cup-shaped recess at the top of the box. To gain flexibility in the wheel base of an engine not fitted with a bogie and having single leading wheels, it is a common ©xpeclisnt to make the box a, loose fit in the guides, so that the wheels may move sideways to an extønt when the engine takes a curve, but as the spring pin is above, and must not be moved sideways, it is placed in a recess in a cover plate, which has no side play allowed, the box sliding under it when it moves. This arrangement is on the box shown at D, but it is not satisfactory on an engine with a long wheel base, as the side play must be large to gain sufficient lateral movement, and the engine has a tendency to a “ nosing ” action on a straight road. Therefore, some form of controlling gear is necessary; some makers use springs and some swing links for this purpose, but the most common method is to form the top of the box into inclined planes, and have the bottom of the cover plate of a similar shape to suit, as shown at F ; if the engine with box so fitted has to take a curve the axle slides along, raising the spring with the cover plates, and when the straight road is again reached the influence of the planes causes the axle to resume its central position ; this ensures a steadiness in running not obtainable in plain axleboxes. The wheels are made of wrought iron, cast iron or cast Steel. The first-named metal, however, has now been replaced to a large ©xtent by th.6 seconcl for goods and sliunting- engines, and the third for passenger and express engines. A cast Steel wheel suitable for a small inside cylindereel coupled engine is illustrated at A, Fig. 27, in which the boss is made large enough to safely take the strain due to the axle being- forced in and held, and also to take the crank pin for attach- 9