The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-19
RAILROAD NEWS.
R. /. Mechanical Engineer Talks
of Steel BOX" Cars.
They Cost Less in the End Than
Old Style Frame Cars.
ARE BENT IN WRECKS.
But Steel Can Be Placed In
Shape Again Cheaply.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

| c. A Seley, mechanical engineer of
the Rock Island, has given some inter-
esting facts on ''Steel in Freight Car
Construction" He says:
| In the history Of American railroad
car building, and especially freight
| cars, it is found that steel did not play
| an important part as a body material
until very recent years. Wood was
first displaced by iron or steel in truck
construction and in the side frames;
| cross frames and holsters have been
SUCCESSFULLY changed so that now wood
| is seldom found in modern freight car
trucks.
A number of designers have used
steel underframes for freight cars,
placing thereon q wooden superstruc-
| ture. In the case Of house cars, how
ever, there are many reasons why a
complete steel frame Is superior to the
above arrangement. Any steel frame is
designed to work within small limits
of DETECTION, and as a wooden structure
cannot be so limited, the two do not
combine well.
The requirements Of modern train
service are better met by steel framing,
as it is almost impossible to so frame
successfully stand the shocks in
switching and road service. Steel
frame cars do not sag, sway or work
loose in their various parts so as to re-
quire constant tightening up, renail-
ing, etc, S is necessary on wooden
cars.
1t is now very difficult to find lumber
at all suitable for car framing and the
prices have so equalized that steel can
be used for framing at about equal or
better cost than weed. AS to who Their we
should go further than that in the use
of steel, is a question to be decided by
service. etc. Lumber is still available
for flooring, lining and covering, and
probably will be for some years.
Extensive use Of cars of the above
type has developed considerable in
formation OF interest. The cost of re-
pairs to freight cars is not generally
divided on railroads into sufficient de-
tail to show the comparative costs of
wooden and of steel or composite cars,
but such information as we have is
greatly in favor of the Steel-framed
cars. In heavy repairs of wooden cars, |
from two-thirds to three-quarters of
the cost may be charged to material |
and from one-quarter to one-third co |
labor.
When steel is used for framing, the |
proportions are reversed, the larger |
part being for labor and the lesser for |
material This is largely because the |
steel is again disable. even though more |
or less damaged. Shocks which would |
break a wooden member so as to re-
quire its replacement would in most |
cases merely bend or distort a steel |
one, which may be readily Strengthened
and returned to service. A badly
wrecked steel frame car looks rather |
to one not accustomed to |
handling such matters, but experience |
has shown this not to be as bad as 1t /
seems.
Freight cars often have to stand
severe cornering or diagonal shocks
which at the time may not break the |
wooden car, but result in its springing
back and concealing the damage. The
steel frame car under these conditions
will sometimes yield and stay bent
latera1ly. thus acting as a tel-tale of
unfair usage. There is a considerable
question as to how far to go in provid-
ing lateral strength and stiffening in a
car frame. If we consider only the
required for the vertical
stresses of loading and impact we nat
urally get a proportion of lateral stiff
ness from the fianges of the channels
or other sections used for stills; the
cross bearers, holsters and fastenings
of the floor also serve to SO bind the
bottom framing as to give consider
alb lateral strength. There has been
some criticism as to lateral weakness
of certain steel frame box cars which,
though amply strong for carrying their
load in normal operation, will not stand
severe cornering shocks without dis
tortion, which occurs between the
holsters. It has been found that in
most cases these distorted cars can be
lacked back to straight lines without
the necessity of cutting them apart,
and in view Of the cheapness Of this
class of repair 1t would seem to in
dictate a desirable economy in the
original construction rather than a
justification for an additional ex-
penditure for stiffening the frame.