This article is about wheeled wagons and trolleys. For other uses, see
Bogey.
Archbar type truck as used on some steam locomotive tenders.
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics
terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed
in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a train carriage or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a
caterpillar tracked vehicle.
Railway cars
Diagram showing bogie function
A bogie in the UK, or a wheel truck, or simply truck in the U.S., is a structure underneath a train to which wheel axles (and, hence, wheels) are
attached through bearings. If they are used there are usually two for each
carriage, wagon and locomotive, or alternatively, they are
at the connections between the carriages or wagons. The connections of the bogies with the cars allow a certain degree of
rotational movement around a vertical axis. Most bogies have two axles, but some cars designed for extremely heavy loads have
been built with up to five axles per bogie. Heavy-duty cars may have more than two bogies using span bolsters to equalize the load and connect the bogies to the cars.
Usually the train floor is at a level above the bogies, however, for a double decker train the floor of the car may be lower between bogies to increase interior space while staying within
height restrictions.
The B1 Bogie
The BR Mark 1 coach brought into production in 1950 utilised the B1 Bogie, which was rated to run at 90 mph. The wheels were
cast as a one-piece item in a pair with their axle. The simple design involved the bogie resting on four leaf springs (one spring
per wheel) which in turn were connected to the axles. The leaf springs were designed to absorb any movement or resonance and to
have a damping effect to benefit ride quality.
Each spring was connected to the outermost edge of the axle by means of a roller bearing contained in oil filled axle box. The
oil in these boxes had to be topped up at regular maintenance times to avoid the bearing running hot and from seizing.
The Commonwealth Bogie
The SKF or Timken manufactured Commonwealth bogie was introduced in the late 1950’s for all BR MK1 vehicles. The bogie was a
heavy cast steel design weighing 6.75 ton with fitted sealed roller bearings on the axle ends, avoiding the need to maintain axle
box oil levels.
The leaf springs were replaced with coil type springs (one per wheel) running vertically rather than horizontally. The
advanced design gave a superior ride quality to the B1, being rated for 160 km/h / 100 mph.
The side frame of the bogie was usually of bar construction, with simple horn guides attached, allowing the axleboxes vertical
movements between them. The axleboxes had a cast steel equaliser beam or bar resting on them. The bar had two steel coil springs
placed on it and the bogie frame rested on the springs. The effect was to allow the bar to act as a compensating lever between
the two axles and to use both springs to soften shocks from either axle. The bogie had a conventional bolster suspension with
swing links carrying a spring plank.
The B4 Bogie
The B4 bogie was introduced in 1963. It was a fabricated steel design as versus cast iron and was hence 1.55 tons lighter than
the Commonwealth, weighing in at 5.2 tons. It also had a speed rating of 160 km/h / 100 mph.
Axle/spring connection was again with fitted roller bearings. However, now two coil springs rather than one were fitted per
wheel. [1]
Only a very small amount of MK1 stock was fitted with the B4 bogie from new, it being used to on the MK1 only to replace worn
out B1 bogies. The BR MK2 coach however carried the B4 bogies from new. A heavier duty version, the B5, was standard on Southern
Region Mk1 based EMUs from the 1960s onwards. Some of the B4 fitted Mk2s, as well as many B4 fitted Mk1 BGs were allowed to run
at 110 mph with extra maintenance, particularly of the wheel profile, and more frequent exams.
The BT10 Bogie
The BT10 bogie was introduced on the British Rail Mark 3 coach in the 1970's.
Each wheel is separately connected to the bogie by a swing-arm axle. There is dual suspension:
-primary suspension via a coil spring and damper mounted on each axle.
-secondary suspension via two air springs mounted on the pivot plank. This is connected to the bogie by pendulum links. A
constant coach height is maintained by air valves.[2]
Tram Bogies
Tram bogies are much simpler in design because of lighter axle load, this and tighter curves that are found on tramways means
that tram bogies almost never have more than two axles. Furthermore, some tramways also have steeper gradients and vertical as
well as horizontal curves, which means that tram bogies often need to pivot on the horizontal axis as well.
There are articulated trams with bogies under articulations, they are called Jacobs bogies.
There are low floor trams without (pivoting) bogies and many tramway enthusiasts see this as a retrograde step.
See also: Diesel multiple unit
Tracked vehicles
Some tanks and other tracked vehicles have bogies as
external suspension components (see armoured fighting vehicle suspension). This
type of bogie usually has two or more road wheels and some type of sprung suspension to smooth the ride across rough terrain.
Bogie suspensions keep much of their components on the outside of the vehicle, saving internal space. Although vulnerable to
antitank fire, they can often be repaired or replaced in the field.
See also
External links
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