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Ever wondered why the flanged edge of a railway wheel
is called a tyre ?
Well the wearing surface is a separate entity which has
good wear properties and, to keep the costs down, is replaceable.
The tyre is heated to expand
it and then the wheel is lowered into it. Whilst still hot a circlip,
called a "Gibson ring" is sprung into the recess in the back of the tyre.
To hold this in place the back of the tyre is rolled down to crimp the
tyre in place.
The sectioned wheel below illustrates the component parts.
Carriages and wagons use external axle boxes on the ends
of the axle shaft whereas most locomotive journals are inside the wheels
because of the connecting rods.
Details of the Gibson ring
press are below along with pictures of the tyre
heating ring from the former GWR workshops in Swindon. |
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A section through an assembled railway wheel
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The component parts of a railway wheel
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In the photograph above you'll notice the edge of the tyre is bent
over onto the Gibson ring. This is done using a special press as
in the next photographs. |
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Wheelset mounted in the Gibson Ring press (note
rollers adjust to compensate for wheel diameter)
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Close up of the rolling action
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