Does your railway prefer stock with plain or roller bearings?

Good evening all. While visiting preserved lines I notice some seem to prefer running BR mark 1's on Commonwealth bogies and suchlike with greased roller bearings, while others seem to seek BR1 bogies with whitemetal bearings.

I was wondering whether individual lines have their own policies of standardisation or is it a case of running what you have. Do you find the servicing the greased bearings is easier, or do you find it easier and cheaper to set yourselves up for whitemetaling your own bearing crowns?

Back when I was involved with loco's I remember being told roller bearings were supposed to be moved at least once a week to stop the rollers sinking into and damaging the inner and outer rings of the bearing? With today's sometime's intermittent use is this found to be a problem?

Sorry for all the questions! Pete

 

It's a matter of running what you have

 

In the earlier days of BR disposing of Mark 1's they wanted any Commonwealth and B4 bogies back so the coaches had to be swapped to Mk.1 bogies. Later acquisitions were sold with the more modern bogies.

 

Hi there Just a question from me.
One (or two?) of the GWR coaches located at SVR has blue painted axleboxes and I just wondered if it has something to do with this topic (plain/vs. roller bearings)?

Knut

 

I remember a guard at Swanage preferring coaches with BR1s as it was easier to check the brake blocks.

 

Not really, the GWR only used plain bearings.

 

Thanks for your reply olly5764.

 

I can't remember what the exact reason was behind it, I'll have to ask again when I get chance.

 

When we bought the ballast hoppers for the Isle of Wight from London Underground about 30 years ago we chose the two with roller bearings for the lower rolling resistance of these heavy vehicles.We left the 12 or so others with plain bearings for the scrap man to have. We have not been disappointed.

 

AIUI the blue axleboxes were introduced in 1927 to indicate to those who needed to know, that the boxes involved should receive a different oiling regime due to the type of plain bearing within. These were a mod to what had been used before and needed a change in the maintenance applied.

Mike

 

Thanks a lot for your information Mike! The "mysteri" is solved and I can sleep again at night

Knut