DANIEL LAWRENCE CURTIS
Engineers in Erie, PA

4793047, Dec 27, 1988

Feb 10, 1988

7/154545

Daniel L. Curtis - Erie PA
William G. Skrzypczyk - Erie PA
Thumpassery J. Thomas - Erie PA

General Electric Company - Erie PA

B23Q 1700

29407

A method of adjusting the weight distribution of a locomotive having a pair of interchangeable 3-axle asymmetrical truck assemblies comprising loading the locomotive body with its normal supply of fuel, water, etc. , weighing the body, together with a pair of truck bolsters but without the other parts of the truck assemblies, to measure individually the weight at each of the four different bolster mount load points of each of the two separate bolsters, comparing the eight measured weights, respectively, with desired weights at the eight separate load points of the bolsters to determine the errors, if any, that need correction, selecting the sizes of shims that can be added at designated load points of the bolsters to reduce such errors to within specified limits based on stored data from which the influence of the added shim thicknesses on weight distribution is predicted, adding shims of the selected sizes to the designated load points, repeating the above-mentioned weighing and comparing steps, repeating the above-mentioned selecting, adding, and repeating steps unless the weight error at each load point is within the specified limits, checking the distribution, among the three axles of each truck assembly, of the truck assembly weight plus half of the locomotive body weight in a fixture that gives the truck frame a predetermined slope, adding whatever shims are needed at the spring seats of the respective axle springs of each truck assembly to obtain a desired weight distribution among the three axles thereof, securing all of the added shims in place, and placing the locomotive body on a pair of duplicate truck assemblies.