February 2016

We worked on the needle beam hardware under the car.  These help support the center of the car along with the truss rods that run longitudinally from bolster to bolster.

Here is another look at the drawing of a similar car showing a needle beam which has been colored red.  (Click on image to enlarge.)  The needle beams also have rods under them fastened on the ends, with queen posts placed along the length in a similar configuration to the truss rods in this drawing.

This is a copy of a photo of the needle beam hardware configuration (click to enlarge).  Arrow #1 points to the longitudinal truss rod.  Arrow #2 points to the needle beam.  Arrow #3 points to the queen posts (2) attached to the needle beam.  Arrow #4 points to the truss rod along the needle beam.  This geometry provides support all along the width of the car as well as at the ends of the beam.

This photo shows Bob and Bill K. contemplating one of the needle beams on our car with the queen posts attached.

The rods need to be bent in two places where they are in contact with the queen posts.  So out comes the "bender" again.  Bill K. looks like he wants to do some bending, but where is the jack handle?

Tom is cleaning up the ends of a rod on the belt sander.

The rods are threaded at each end and tension applied by tightening nuts.  Here the crew is learning how to use the threading machine.