Changing Spring Suspension on a Diesel Locomotive 

That was the intent of the video anyhow…thanks for stopping by my friend.👊🏼

Fun…that or the other F word…frustrating. Which one usually depends on how long it takes…Ha!

That’s an understatement…I’m now finding these same mechanics present on a bunch of our other equipment. Answers a lot of amateur questions I’ve had in the past…

@@kotabeaner The old heads used to tell me that EMD E-units “rode like Pullmans.” Turns out there was a good reason for that.

We actually have the very last original cab rebuild. 204 is former Santa Fe #2472. That was the last CF7 built retaining the entire original F7 cab. That also explains the slightly longer cab than usual, as they chopped it right at the point where the steps would’ve led down into the prime mover bay on the original model.

That’s what I said… others may not be so lucky.

That’s exactly right. Cheers, my friend.

Such was the intention. Much appreciated.

Train game…that’s certainly how a number of folks view it here. Anyhow, I’m glad I was able to bring you some more knowledge…I too have a much greater appreciation for the mechanics of this stuff, which I think is via proxy of any job that you’re actually involved in keeping things moving. I greatly appreciate your comment!

Mine are being made now…

You and me both. I hadn’t even a clue how the loco’s moved…now, I’m starting to notice these kinds of mechanics on all of our other equipment as well. Lots of eureka moments. Thank you much!

Much appreciated! I never considered the logistics of it either until the task got thrown on our desk. Not just the spring, but how all of the other components come together to allow a smooth ride.

Well, I suppose that’s of the essence when trying to educate about a technical job…Thank You sir!

That’s what I said. Much appreciated.

Appreciate that! I’m glad I was able to portray it fairly understandably.

Well, some interesting follow up to that. Number 204 was actually the last original cab retainer. It was number 2472 when rebuilt and I believe 238 as an F7. Good news is, 8330 is being rebuilt herself. The prime mover was swapped out in 2023, and were now in the process of fixing mechanical hiccups to bring her back online. We’re actually taking her out for her first test rides down the track next week…probably Wednesday or thereabouts.

Much appreciated all around. Guess that means I’ve gotta keep doing it…

Hey, I tried my best. Good to know it was effective - Thank you!

Oh boy…can’t wait. Some of our cabooses also utilize that spring/plank design, which I found interesting afterwards. That loco is gonna need some further mechanical attention soon, as it’s starting to experience blow-by with trace amounts of oil shooting from the exhaust. I can only imagine those other bits are gonna need attention fairly soon, along with those seals we’ll have to replace. One thing’s for certain…JOB SECURITY!

​@@kotabeanerThe easiest way to fix blow-by is to put a load on the motor and run it wide open.

Many thanks!

My pleasure! It’s quite interesting how it all comes together, and it gave me a much better understanding of the suspension mechanics on much of our other equipment.

You and me both. Being a hands-on learner, this kind of stuff is awesome for me, and much of the reason why I work there. I’m learning all sorts of stuff I never knew about railroading just about every week. It really gives you a whole new appreciation for the industry you’re in.

You and me both. I’m now noticing how such mechanics function on most of our other equipment, and I can now explain the ride differences between them… Thanks!!

Best of luck. She’ll ride a lot better.

That’s just one of many things you get to do as an employee. Get to do…I suppose you HAVE to since you’re being paid…🤣 Much appreciated!

My pleasure. Thanks for watching.

Thank you. 204 doesn’t wear that 5T anymore though. That was only a temporary fix while I rebuilt its native horn.

@@kotabeaner cool and hope we can meet up again soon and I got a new train club video planned to be uploaded tomorrow so hope you enjoy it when I release it

I think a lot of people wonder that…I too did at one point.

I’m glad I was able to. Thanks for watching!

That was one of the areas I fell short on. I didn’t know the names of any of those things until we executed this whole charade. I referenced them the best I knew how, but that feedback helps a lot in my understanding as well.

Equally jolly ride afterwards!

Much appreciated!

haha......trains fans dont know what that means......i do though......my chevy avalanche carried dirt one day and never recovered.......time for new rear shocks

I’ll have to take your word for it…we haven’t had the fortune of owning one of those locos…

I’d never seen a bad set either until this. 204 tends to lean in the rear slightly, even with both springs swapped, so I wonder if there’s something else amidst that’s causing that, as well as, ultimately, increased wear on the rear components.

That’s for sure. As I’m starting to see leaf springs more and more on common vehicles, they all pale in comparison to even just one of these…

I’m hoping to be able to. It’s not always easy to film a project while you’re one of the guys actually doing the work, but I’ll definitely try. I’m glad that people are enjoying them.

@@kotabeaner Oh yeah I completely understand that, I know this project took a lot of work! Thanks for the video, I do automotive work and it's cool to see other lines of mechanical work!

@@kotabeaner Your Videos also bring attention and interest in the Museum. Some Museums have regular RU-vid channels that are a significant source of revenue. Example: Battle Ship New Jersey is a big one. While it would be tough to have a channel like that Battle ship museum has, doing some regular videos of the type you just shared sould definately be something the FRM supports. Nothing but benificial to it's mission and message.

That’s been my intention from day 1. It not only brings potential traffic to the museum, but it’s also a great informational source for my viewers that aren’t as immersed on the mechanics of railroading, and it’s also a way for me to get content posted more often, as that’s where the majority of my time is spent. What I will say, is that the videos are generally supported. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes a struggle to obtain the content, occasionally have to get it approved, and then post it, sometimes for minimal interaction as compared to some of my other mainstream content. However, since I know there’s a general interest for these types of videos, I’ll keep doing them as much as I can. I’ll likely focus on more straightforward projects such as this one, instead of the every 3-4 month update.

Was she original or rebuilt when you rode? I forget what year she got converted but you got either the three or four digit road number. Either way, we’d love to have you. You can always look into a cab ride on a weekend train, or an hour locomotive rental on our website - frrm.org.

She had been converted to a round top CF-7 in Blue/yellow warbonnet paint and 4 digit number. You can read about one of my experiences at Santa Ana in the May 2020 Trains Magazine- How to Make a Clawbar Sing.

Cool deal. Yeah, we have pictures of her in all 3 stages up in the cab. What I meant was, you rode her either while she had a 3 digit number (200 something as an F7) - or a 4 digit - 2472 as the rebuilt bluebonnet.

This loco has those coil springs also. There’s a casing that kind of hides them under normal conditions - look at some of the shots while the loco is jacked up and you’ll see them. I’ve also seen those bushings on higher-end locos. I’ll have to look into what those are composed of.

@@kotabeaner yeah you actually mentioned the coils in the video right after I commented lol

Much appreciated! If I’m understanding your inquiry correctly, each of those “brackets” that hold the axles have 2 coil springs that allow vertical motion within the truck frame. So ultimately, there’s 8 coil springs on one truck. Each axle having 2 coil springs allow each one to move whatever way it needs to. The arrows in my explanation at 14:30 extradite where these coil springs are located. Now, realistically, the wheels just move with the contours of the rails, while the truck will be moving up and down, but each axle has those two springs to allow individual movement, so one, two, or three may be moving up, while one or more could be moving down.

​@@kotabeaner Thanks for your response! Sorry I'm not a native english speaker, so my question may not come thrugh perfectly. So basically. All axles have 2 coil springs on each side (so 8 in total for a truck). Okay. Let's focus on a single axle, doesn't matter which. Now I know that the axle can move vertically, relative to the bogie frame, thanks to the coil springs. So we're only talking about a single axle, and let's imagine we're looking at this axle from the front, so the wheels (and rails) are on each side. Now imagine, that as loco moves along the rail, it encounters a bump on the left rail, and a "depression" on the right one. If the wheels follow the rails, this would mean that the left wheel "goes up" while the right one "goes down". Imagine, that all other axles of the train are on a completely flat and even track. In this scenario, the left wheel on this axle would be higher up relative to the bogie frame, while the right wheel would be lower compared to the bogie frame. This would be A OK if the left and right wheel were independent of each other, but of course they arent. This means, than in order for the left wheel on one end of the axle to "move up" and the right wheel on the other end of the axle to "move down", the axle (keep in mind, we're still looking at it from the front) would have to rotate clockwise a bit (not rotate as in, you know roll, but rotate along the longitudinal axis of the loco). This is the "flex" I was talking about. It seems to me that the axle boxes (on the left and right end of the axles) are in "brackets" or "guides" that allow them to move straight vertically, but wouldn't allow the "flex" or rotation along the longitudinal axis of the loco. My guess would be, that there's a bit of play between the axle/bearing box, and the guides/brackets that they sit in. I hope you understand now, sorry I have a hard time communicating my question 😂

Yes, I do understand now. I was thinking about it too simplistically. Ya know…I actually don’t have an answer for that. Perhaps, like you said, since tracks are smoother than roads, the axles can tilt in that manner and it’s hardly noticeable. I’ll have to research that, though, especially since I just took a look under the loco after reading that, and I don’t see any type of suspension to keep the axles straight. It does seem there ought to be, though, since I’ve never noticed the wheels bowing in any way. The museum has had some rough track in years past, so if anywhere was to see it, it’d be us…ha!

@@kotabeaner Thanks again for the answer! I've actually been asking this question on multiple forums, and noone could answer it haha. I think the track uneveness is generally small enough that the "play" of the bearings, bushings, etc. Is enough to compensate. Still, if ever you make a video related to the topic, I'll happily watch!

Oh boy…that sounds like a job. Don’t be so quick to assume the difficulty of a project though…I know how to do a loco now, but if you put me in front of a semi truck spring, I guarantee I’d be looking at you more than the spring…Ha! For better or worse, each has its quirks, and it’s always more clarifying once you know how to do it.

That’s kind of what I realized afterwards. After I shot that video I realized that it couldn’t really swing if it was touching…I appreciate the insight. I only know as much as I got from doing the job, ha!

@@kotabeaner That’s good! You’re on your way to knowing a lot about locomotives and Blomberg trucks

Thank You! I never considered most of the intricacies either until this project - now I’m realizing how the suspension on all of our cars work…imagine that. I tell you what, if you’re that close, why not stop by the yard one of these weekday afternoons? I’d be happy to show you around if that’s something you’d be interested in.

@@kotabeaner That would be great. Which end are you normally at; Willow or Parrish?

Willow. Sometimes we have work in Parrish, and I’m commonly out on the track for maintenance purposes, but Willow is the base.

Right…that happened in 2022 when a contracting firm lifted it with cranes to spin it. The cable on that side tightened, pushing in on the sunshade and bending it. Ironically, it’s actually made for a convenient out-the-window radio mount to get longer range when switching.

Unfortunately, you’re asking the wrong guy for steam locomotive details. I was a novice to even diesel locos until I began my work here. If I had to guess, though, I’d imagine theres a kingpin that secures the trailing truck(s) to the rest of the frame. My guess would also be that the pilot(s) have a sort of bushing or cushioning to contact the frame (if applicable) - and there’s likely another kingpin that holds the assembly to the frame, and as it turns into a curve, it pulls, or guides the rest of the body with it. Don’t quote me on any of that, those were all just my best guesses.

I’d imagine so. Especially with the kind of terrain that tractors often handle…I respect that type of job.

Considering that basically all we run is passenger equipment, that may be a future project of ours.

I’m actually not 100% sure if they’re still manufactured. They may still be, but it’s my understanding that the set we acquired was a refurbished set from someone up north. I’d venture to guess that the broken set was the original, but that might be wrong. Perhaps it was installed with the Clebourne rebuild.

I’m not entirely sure. I imagine they’re US developed, but I’m not sure where you purchase them independently. There’s likely third party vendors for them, but the set we acquired was actually a refurbished set by somebody up north somewhere.

I suppose we all do now.

Or any kind of dust protection when using compressed air to blow all the dust and crap out of the mounting.