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Bulleid Wheels

Discussion in 'Locomotive Engineering M.I.C' started by Steve, Jan 7, 2011.

  1. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    A question (because I don't know the answer). What are the advantages of a Bulleid Firth-Brown wheel over a more conventional spoked wheel? On the face of it, it doesn't appear to be a lighter construction and is certainly a more complex pattern-making job. BR certainly didn't perpetuate the design into the standards.
     
    Steve, Jan 7, 2011
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  2. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    One of its major advantages over a spoked wheel is the more uniform support provided to the tyre.
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 8, 2011
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  3. Mighty Mogul

    Mighty Mogul Well-Known Member

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    Was the BFB wheel pattern derived from continental practice? I can't cite any specific locos off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are many locos in other countries which used similar wheel patterns...USA, Japan...???
     
    Mighty Mogul, Jan 8, 2011
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  4. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    To all intents and purposes it was a development of the Boxpok wheel patented in the USA.
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 8, 2011
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  5. class8mikado

    class8mikado Part of the furniture

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    one other feature is that the 'pockets' on the wheel rim collect oil, rain water, sand , u -name ie whilst stood, (and then tip it out onto the motion later no doubt) and are a pain in the but to clean out...
     
    class8mikado, Feb 13, 2012
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  6. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    You're not wrong there. The bogie, trailing truck and tender wheels are the worst to clean as the pockets are relatively small. Main drivers not quite so bad. Keeping some of our team busy at the moment though.
     
    Spamcan81, Feb 13, 2012
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  7. class8mikado

    class8mikado Part of the furniture

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    would the drilling of small hole into these (box) pocket(te)s close to the rim really compromise the strength of the wheel ?

    This not withstanding surprised BR didnt adopt these wheels for the standards, apart from the fact that they didnt look LMS enough ? or perhaps they would have had to pay the patentees...
     
    class8mikado, Feb 13, 2012
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  8. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Some 01 Pacifics where also fitted with box pox wheels in Germany, don't know if there's any documented improvements.
     
    ADB968008, Feb 13, 2012
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  9. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    According to that great font of knowledge (Wikipedia) 8 01.5s were fitted with boxpox wheels after cracks were found in the spokes of the driving wheels, but were then themselves replaced with spoked wheels due to poor castings.
     
    5944, Feb 13, 2012
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  10. gwr4090

    gwr4090 Part of the furniture

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    Unfortunately the Bulleid Firth-Brown wheels turned out to be rather prone to cracking - more so, apparetly, than conventional spoked wheels. This may be due to the rather poor quality of the castings produced in the 1940s. The cracks tend to appear around the holes and the bosses, but are (usually) fairly easy to repair by welding. But drilling more holes may not be a good idea !

    David



    .
     
    gwr4090, Feb 26, 2012
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  11. class8mikado

    class8mikado Part of the furniture

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    Sure Dave, drilling more holes usually isnt. In the unlikely event that any more get cast perhaps its a mod that could be incorporated...
     
    class8mikado, Feb 28, 2012
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