A rail road car truck has a bolster having the form of a hollow beam that has a deep central portion and shallow ends. The bolster has a top flange, a bottom flange and internal and external webs extending between, intersecting and merging with the top and bottom flanges. A center plate bowl is located in the middle of the top flange, and brake rod passages are defined transversely through the bolster. In some embodiments, transverse ribs run underneath the center plate bowl. The ribs may be curved. The ribs may be flush with the brake rod openings in the various webs. There may be upwardly standing ribs running transversely across the bottom flange. Those lower ribs may terminate upwardly flush with the brake rod openings. Alternatively, the bottom portion of the bolster may by cast with a greater thickness, up to the bottom of the break rod openings. In other embodiments, the bolster may have partial or fully tubular brake rod opening liners or tubes that extend across the bolster beneath the center plate.

A railcar axle box includes an axle box main body accommodating a bearing supporting an axle. The axle box main body includes: an inner surface defining an accommodating space accommodating the bearing; a first side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at one car width direction side of a car width direction center of the accommodating space; and a second side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at the other car width direction side of the center. A shortest distance between the first side surface and the car width direction center of the accommodating space and a shortest distance between the second side surface and the center are equal to each other in a car width direction.

A railcar axle box includes an axle box main body accommodating a bearing supporting an axle. The axle box main body includes: an inner surface defining an accommodating space accommodating the bearing; a first side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at one car width direction side of a car width direction center of the accommodating space; and a second side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at the other car width direction side of the center. A shortest distance between the first side surface and the car width direction center of the accommodating space and a shortest distance between the second side surface and the center are equal to each other in a car width direction.

A method of assembling a railcar bogie includes: a plate spring arranging step of making a pair of axle boxes support a plate spring extending in a car longitudinal direction, the axle boxes being arranged away from each other in the car longitudinal direction; a bogie frame arranging step of placing a bogie frame directly or indirectly on a longitudinal direction middle portion of the plate spring from above, the bogie frame including a side wall on which an opening is formed, the side wall covering the plate spring from an outside in a car width direction; and a measuring step of measuring a positional deviation between the plate spring and the bogie frame in the car longitudinal direction through the opening.

A method of assembling a railcar bogie includes: a plate spring arranging step of making a pair of axle boxes support a plate spring extending in a car longitudinal direction, the axle boxes being arranged away from each other in the car longitudinal direction; a bogie frame arranging step of placing a bogie frame directly or indirectly on a longitudinal direction middle portion of the plate spring from above, the bogie frame including a side wall on which an opening is formed, the side wall covering the plate spring from an outside in a car width direction; and a measuring step of measuring a positional deviation between the plate spring and the bogie frame in the car longitudinal direction through the opening.

A truck assembly of a rail vehicle includes a side frame including a spring seat below an opening. The spring seat includes a locating pocket. An end guide system is coupled to the side frame. The end guide system includes a central base configured to be received and retained by the locating pocket. At least one end guide extends outwardly and upwardly from the central base.

A steering mechanism for a rail vehicle includes two steering arms, each including a pair of support arms that have a joining component with a recess. The two steering arms are articulated in a manner that maintains a minimum separation between the steering arms so that the arms can rotate relative to one another. The minimum separation is maintained by an insert that installs into the joining component recesses components of each of the steering arms. The insert has two sides, each side having a flexible material and forming a shape that mates with the recess. The insert provides resistance to the rotation between the first and second steering arms, and the resistance depends on the stiffness of the flexible material of the insert.

A steering mechanism for a rail vehicle includes two steering arms, each including a pair of support arms that have a joining component with a recess. The two steering arms are articulated in a manner that maintains a minimum separation between the steering arms so that the arms can rotate relative to one another. The minimum separation is maintained by an insert that installs into the joining component recesses components of each of the steering arms. The insert has two sides, each side having a flexible material and forming a shape that mates with the recess. The insert provides resistance to the rotation between the first and second steering arms, and the resistance depends on the stiffness of the flexible material of the insert.

An articulated connector for a rail vehicle having a plurality of rail car bodies including a first and a second rail car body supported on a bolster of a Jacobs bogie. The articulated connector includes a spherical joint mechanism connecting the first rail car body and the second car body to one another, the spherical joint mechanism having at least two spherical joint bearings, and the spherical joint mechanism being disposed on the bolster of the Jacobs bogie.

An articulated connector for a rail vehicle having a plurality of rail car bodies including a first and a second rail car body supported on a bolster of a Jacobs bogie. The articulated connector includes a spherical joint mechanism connecting the first rail car body and the second car body to one another, the spherical joint mechanism having at least two spherical joint bearings, and the spherical joint mechanism being disposed on the bolster of the Jacobs bogie.