Re: (erielack) Further re: Flange Oilers

["Tom Beckett" <tabeckett_@_stny.rr.com>]

There's one of those modern type oilers on the curve at MP 224, on track 2.
Judging by the grease in the area, I'd say it's still in service.

TAB
- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Smtimko_@_aol.com>
To: <quahog_@_sprint.ca>; <erielack@lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Further re: Flange Oilers


> Alan
>
> I never saw the 'troughs of oil or grease' that you write of.  The flange
> oilers or greasers that I am familiar with the Erie/EL used on the
Mahoning
> Division consisted of a reservoir for the grease underground with a hose
or
> two running from the tank to the inside of the rail.  There was a
mechanical
> device that, when the wheel hit the device that was on the gauge side of
the
> rail, it caused the ratchet to turn and pump a shot of grease to the area
of
> the inside of the gauge.
>
> They were quite effective.  They held about 35 gal of grease.
>
> Conrail installed flange oilers directly on the lead truck of locomotives
in
> the '90's to cut down on wheel wear and rail wear.  This was somewhat
> effective, but hard to maintain.  The flow of lubrication to the wheel and
> transferred to the rail caused some wheel slip and many engineers turned
the
> oilers off.
>
> Conrail went to a new style of grease tank located above ground rather
than
> in the ground.
>
> smt
>
>

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