Derailment -- Wheel Configurations --- Gleanings From *Trolley Fare*

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

        Gleanings  From  *Trolley  Fare*
                January--1964

        "The interurban derailment described last month, [sorry, can't
find that issue for more details] was not due to a broken axle as
thought, but due to an eccentric wheel caused by loosening of the bolts
holding the two steel parts of the wheel and rubber insert sandwiched
together.  This was detected at Tunnel where the wheel was obviously
eccentric, the dispatcher ordered the car to continue to Shannon, and
pull out of service there.  He appeared to have *no* spare cars."

        Easy to say in retrospect that the car should have been pulled
at Tunnel, but even as first hand knowledge, would you allow a car to
continue in service with an obviously wobbly wheel?  Especially when the
car was spotted at SHJ - right at the yard.

        My assumption is that this car was not a 1700 series car because
of the following quote from above:  "caused by loosening of the bolts." 
The 17s had only the one large center nut and the 10s, 11s, and 16s were
delivered with the *center-nut* version as well.  While PRCo never had
super resilient wheels, the 1200s were all delivered with a mounting
that looked similar with 8-bolts around the circumference.  The 14s and
15s were delivered with a plate with 6-bolts around the circumference. 
Many of the 12s, 14s, and 15s were converted to the center-nut versions
and many had the wheel tread brakes shoes replaced with drum brakes.  I
even have a photo of a 16 (think it is in ({[pat]}) grey) and three
wheels have the center-nut version with one wheel the 6-bolt version
(car-# is not visible but this is a *Railroad Avenue Enterprizes* photo
#PN-1549, 1970.08.26!)
        So the car in question might have been a 1400-series (don't
think 15s were at SHY at this time) if it indeed did have many bolts
around the surface.  And there is a remote chance that it could have
been a 16 if it had one - or more - of its wheels converted as I
mentioned.
        But if the report is mistaken in saying *bolts* when they should
have said *nut* - then it could have been a 17-interurban or
16-interurban or any car with the center-nut wheel.

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
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