TRRS 504: Railcar Wheel Replacement

31 March 2017 - Janesville, Wisconsin Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Wheel Changeout Steel wheels on steel rails is a great way to move a lot of freight, but those wheels better be circular! From time to time, wheels must be changed out due to defects, particularity for flat spots. Usually the result of the car being dragged with the brakes still applied, the spots are cause for concern as they can do damage to track and lead to wheel failures. For this two-bay covered hopper, a wheel impact detector, a high-tech piece of wayside defect detection, caught it leaving Chicago thumping along. So when the car arrived at the Wisconsin & Southern’s Janesville yard, it was kicked to the repair track for a new set of wheels. Watch as the carmen show off the wheel replacement process to the next generation of railroaders from Michigan Technological University’s Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC). How are railcar trucks connected to the cars? What parts m