Freight car truck check list

To  keep our rolling stock operating correctly here are some things to check.

First make sure the under frame is properly installed on the car body. Then look at the trucks.

    Parts of a truck. 

King pin hole, it should turn freely on the king pin, but not be too loose. The king pin in most cases will be a screw, which should not be too tight or loose. One truck should turn freely, but not rock side to side, the other should be able to rock a little. The king pin screw should be close to the same diameter as the king pin hole. The inside of the king pin hole should be smooth. 

Center plate, or the area around the king pin hole. Should be smooth and mate well with the under body of the car.

Bolster and springs, or the bar connecting the side frames.  Some of these have springs at the ends, make sure they are all there and that the bolster seats properly.

Side frames, should not be twisted or warped.

Journal boxes, hold the axle ends. These should be smooth and can be reamed with a reamer. Remove any lint or foreign material.

Wheel sets, make sure the wheels are in gauge. If the flange is too large so that they hit the tie heads, they should be replaced. Clean the wheel tread with alcohol on a q-tip. The axle end should be clean and free of foreign material.  The axles should spin freely in the journals. If they don't, the side frames may be too tight or twisted.

The center plate, king pin and hole, journals and axle ends should all be lubricated, sparingly, I use a soft lead pencil, rubbing it on all the surfaces.

After doing the above procedures the rolling stock should roll freely, if not you may need to replace the wheels and or wheel sets.