The designers decided that a capacity of 40 tons was best for
transporting military supplies and equipment on standard- to broad-
gage railroads--56 1/2, 60, 63, and 66 inches. Design modifications
were based on the equipment's shorter life expectancy and on
regulations expected to govern rail operations in a theater.
The
emergency oversea equipment is designed and built to meet clearance
limitations of foreign railroads.
The major assemblies and
components
of
the
different
types
of
knockdown
cars
are
interchangeable.
Paragraphs 2.6 through 2.9 discuss four of the
basic components of railway cars of the knockdown fleet with the
exception of tank. cars; paragraph 2.10 discusses their assembly.
2.6.
TRUCKS
Multigage trucks enable the knockdown fleet to operate on
railroads of various widths--those with standard to broad gages. The
trucks can be adapted to the different gages, or an entire truck may
be removed and another substituted. Changing the gage of the wheels
when once set on multigage trucks can be accomplished only by a
general support maintenance unit. Wheels cannot be pushed in or out
at will; a heavy-duty wheel press is required.
The multigage trucks can be applied to locomotives, wrecker and
locomotive cranes, snowplows, and other rail equipment.
Trucks and
wheels used on equipment of the fleet conform to the standards of the
Association of American Railroads and are completely interchangeable
among cars of the same capacity. Only the major assemblies, however,
are interchangeable among the trucks themselves.
A diagram of a
typical railway truck is shown in figure 2.1.
2.7.
Because
the
fleet
is
designed primarily for service
in
an oversea
area,
it
is
equipped with the hook and link
coupler used predominantly in
Europe, Russia, and other
parts of Asia.
The inserted
sketch shows the hook and
link of the coupler as well
as the bumpers for absorbing
jolts. Figure 2.2 is a model
of a car equipped with a hook
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