BOGIES AND SUSPENSION - South Central Railway

CHAPTER 6 – BOGIES AND SUSPENSION
e) AXLE BOX FACE PLATE
WAGON MAINTENANCE MANUAL
Page 79 of 121
It is fitted to the front opening of the Box by riveting it to the axle box lugs. It
prevents entrance of dust/moisture inside the Box as well as leakage of oil from the
Box, pilferage of soaked cotton waste and bearing Brass. While riveting care should
be exercised that the face plate fits square on the face of the box and does not gap.
Now, it has been prescribed to provide a rubber gasket between the face plate and
Axle Box face to ensure proper sealing.
The face plate is made of 6 mm thick steel plate to specification No. IS: 226
by hot-blanking, pressing in die and bending the end at the top. It is almost of a
rectangular shape with two projected lugs at mid-height. In these projections, two
rivet holes of 13.5 mm dia have been Jig-drilled to suit 12 mm rivets. In the vertical
plane, 3 mm, camber provided to ensure proper fitment on sides of the Axle Box.
Near the top, a 14 mm dia oil hole has been provided. It is covered by a cover fitted
at a distance of 19 mm upwards. The Oil hole cover is secured with the face plate by
an 8 mm dia standard rivet head. A 7 mm dia counter sunk hole has been drilled in
the face plate for the rivet. The 8 mm dia portion of the rivet goes inside the 10 mm
dia hole of the oil hole cover. This clearance of 2 mm. enables the oil hole cover to
rotate freely. After putting oil in the axle box, the oil hole cover should be put back to
the normal position, thus covering the 14 mm dia oil hole.
The face plate is likely to get dented and damaged near the rivet holes when
the rivets are cut by hammering, oxy-cutting or by pneumatic busters at the time of
repacking/POH. To avoid it, lead hammers should be used, pneumatic cutting should
not be resorted to and oxy-cutting should be done very carefully. The elongated/oval
cut holes is a very undesirable feature as it does not allow proper riveting of the face
plate leaving gap between the face plate and axle box. Also proper shape heads are
not formed. At the time of riveting the face plate, it is also important to check its
camber. Only good face plate should be used at the time of re-packing in sick lines or
at the time of POH in workshops. For this purpose, sufficient stock of good face plate
should be reclaimed to the extent possible by re cambering it and repairing worn
holes. Axle box should be repaired by oxy or electric welding.
I. REJECTABLE DEFECTS IN AXLE BOX
The rejectable axle box defects are as under:-
(i) Axle box visibly worn in such a way as to interfere with the lubrication
of the bearing.
(ii) More than one loose liner used for taking up wear in a groove of an
axle box.
(iii) Axle box loose liner, when fitted to take up wear, not bent over the top
and bottom of axle box.
(iv) Axle box cracked below the journal centre or with a crack through
both lugs of an axle guard jaw or groove.