LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF COLLAPSED SPRINGS OF LONG TRAVEL DESIGN ON CAR CLEARANCES

This investigation was made as a result of concern that serious trouble might be experienced with car clearances especially on gondola and flat cars equipped with springs of long travel design particularly when springs are in a collapsed condition. A seventy-ton drop end gondola, equipped with 3-11/16 inch travel springs in A.S.F. design A-3 Ride Control trucks, was furnished for this investigation. Using the measured car lean of 8-1/4 inches for empty car on 6 inch superelevated track with all springs in place as a base line, the static lean increased for the different conditions tested as follows: car empty--4 springs removed 5/8 increase; car loaded--all springs in place 3/4 inch increase; and car loaded--4 springs removed 1 inch increase. These data indicate that the effect of broken springs with this type truck and spring arrangement may increase car lean up to 1 inch with the type load we were able to place in the car.

• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Authors:
  • Keller, W M
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Car clearances (Railroads); Dislocation (Geology); Freight cars; Gondola cars; Loads; Railroad cars; Railroad tracks; Spring; Springs (Vehicles); Structural design; Superelevation; Suspensions; Technology
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lateral loads; Track geometry; Vertical displacement; Vertical loads
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Clearances; Helical springs
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040358
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MR-211 Test Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM