Railroad Wear Parts: An Overview and Buyers Guide

Freight rail accounts for more long-distance ton-miles than any other mode of transportation. Freight and passenger rail traffic is a critical part of the transportation network. Keeping your railcars moving is essential to your business.

Replacing wear parts when needed is critical in maintaining your rolling stock. Learn more about railroad wearing parts and how to find the ones you need.

The Importance of Railroad Wear Parts

All equipment has parts that wear. Railroad applications involve severe service environments.

Rail components must withstand extreme temperatures, high impacts, and continuous vibration. In addition, locomotive wear parts require periodic repair or replacement.

Replacing railroad wear parts helps avoid costly downtime —  preventing minor problems from becoming more significant. In addition, it promotes safer operations.

Types of Wear Parts for the Rail Industry

Railroad wear parts fall into several categories, including friction wear parts, rubber parts, and pedestal liners. Other wear parts include springs, wheel chocks, coupler parts, and shims.

Friction Wear Parts

Friction wear parts include:

  • Equalizer seats
  • Vertical liners
  • Center plates
  • Wear pads
  • Wear plates
  • Brake shoes and pads
  • Snubbers

Wear parts are made from rigid or phenolic friction materials.

Rigid Friction Materials

Rigid non-asbestos molded blocks are a premium material for heavy-duty uses. They provide smooth, consistent friction with a wide range of friction levels.

Rigid friction materials have low wear and abrasion. They also offer excellent fade resistance.

Phenolic Friction Materials

Phenolic resin is another option for friction material. Thermosetting resins are cross-linked with hexamine. The resin can be enhanced with other polymeric or chemical modifiers.

Phenolic resins provide excellent heat resistance and adhesive performance. They have high mechanical strength.

Rubber Parts

Rubber parts have a variety of uses, such as:

  • Bolster stabilizers and end bumpers
  • Lateral bumpers
  • End of car diaphragms
  • Engine seals

These rail components are made from natural or synthetic rubber. Natural rubber comes from natural rubber latex.

Synthetic rubbers like Neoprene are manufactured. As a result, each type of synthetic rubber has its own specific performance characteristics.

Pedestal Liners

Pedestal liners can be made from manganese steel or a polymer material.

Manganese steel is a stainless steel alloy containing a higher percentage of manganese. It’s ideal for high-stress environments that could cause other types of steel to fail. In addition, it has a high impact and wear resistance level.

Polymer plastics are lighter than steel. As a result, they’re durable, have less friction, and can reduce noise and squealing.

Choosing the Right Wear Parts

Wear parts are essential for locomotives, freight cars, and passenger cars. Passenger railways include high-speed, intercity commuter trains, trams, and light rail. In addition, rolling stock has different needs based on its specific uses.

You can choose OEM or aftermarket wear parts. Aftermarket components from a reliable wear parts supplier can be more cost-effective than OEM.

However, you must verify that aftermarket parts will genuinely fit your vehicle. Important considerations include the dimensions and specifications of the wear parts you’re replacing.

An experienced wear parts supplier can help you optimize your components. As a result, you can use the suitable material where it performs best. This prolongs component life and reduces maintenance.

Work With a Specialized Rail Parts Supplier

Wear parts are essential for keeping your rolling stock performing its best. An experienced supplier can help ensure you get the best rail components for your application.

Kor-Pak is a trusted vendor with expertise in the rail industry. We provide durable, high-quality products to meet a wide range of specifications.

Kor-Pak manufactures and supplies OEM and aftermarket wear parts. Our components are compatible with most commonly-used rail brands. They undergo extensive testing and are used in passenger and freight applications worldwide.

Browse our catalog to find the wear parts you need.

Posted in Passenger and Freight Rail Industry.