A railcar truck and adapter pad system for placement between a roller bearing and side frame pedestal roof of a three-piece railcar truck. Many different features of the pad and/or the adapter-pad interface are configured to improve stiffness characteristics to satisfy both curving and high speed performance of the railcar truck.

There is a damper wedge for a railroad car truck. It has a removable and replaceable friction element that reciprocates on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck. It has a non-metallic wear surface; a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck; and an inclined damper wedge surface having a primary angle, alpha, and a secondary angle, beta. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The working point is located in a central region of a contact patch, or working surface patch. The nonmetallic wear surface material is mounted to a carrier that mounts removably to the damper wedge body. The carrier has fingers that span the wedge and that transfer shear and resist torsion, the fingers preventing the non-metallic member from migrating out of position.

There is a damper wedge for a railroad car truck. It has a removable and replaceable friction element that reciprocates on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck. It has a non-metallic wear surface; a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck; and an inclined damper wedge surface having a primary angle, alpha, and a secondary angle, beta. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The working point is located in a central region of a contact patch, or working surface patch. The nonmetallic wear surface material is mounted to a carrier that mounts removably to the damper wedge body. The carrier has fingers that span the wedge and that transfer shear and resist torsion, the fingers preventing the non-metallic member from migrating out of position.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck includes a friction member that rides on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck and a non-metallic wear surface; and a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck. The inclined damper wedge surface has a primary angle alpha, and a secondary angle beta. The spring seat has an axial centerline. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The damper wedge has a datum plane that is normal to the non-metallic wear surface and that contains the axial centerline. The axial centerline meets the inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point that is the center of a contact patch. The working point is located in a central region of the contact patch, or working surface patch, downslope of the intersection point.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck includes a friction member that rides on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck and a non-metallic wear surface; and a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck. The inclined damper wedge surface has a primary angle alpha, and a secondary angle beta. The spring seat has an axial centerline. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The damper wedge has a datum plane that is normal to the non-metallic wear surface and that contains the axial centerline. The axial centerline meets the inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point that is the center of a contact patch. The working point is located in a central region of the contact patch, or working surface patch, downslope of the intersection point.

A level control system for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes at least one level control cylinder and one level control piston, the level control piston being movably guided in the level control cylinder in order to adjust the level of the rail vehicle, the level control piston having an outer piston sleeve and a piston main body at least partially accommodated in the piston sleeve, and the piston main body being slidable relative to the piston sleeve for wear readjustment and being lockable and/or fixable in at least two adjustment positions.

A level control system for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes at least one level control cylinder and one level control piston, the level control piston being movably guided in the level control cylinder in order to adjust the level of the rail vehicle, the level control piston having an outer piston sleeve and a piston main body at least partially accommodated in the piston sleeve, and the piston main body being slidable relative to the piston sleeve for wear readjustment and being lockable and/or fixable in at least two adjustment positions.

A running gear for a low floor rail vehicle includes a frame, a single pair of independent left and right wheels, and a single pair of left and right rotation bearings attached to the frame that allow the left and right wheels to independently spin about a left and right spin axis, respectively. The running gear further includes a secondary suspension resting on the frame for supporting a vehicle body of the rail vehicle and lateral stop means fixed to the frame for laterally guiding the vehicle body of the rail vehicle. The lateral stop means includes a left and a right contact face facing a left and a right, respectively, transverse direction parallel to the transverse reference axis. The left and right contact faces are located between the left and right wheels.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck includes a friction member that rides on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck and a non-metallic wear surface; and a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck. The inclined damper wedge surface has a primary angle alpha, and a secondary angle beta. The spring seat has an axial centerline. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The damper wedge has a datum plane that is normal to the non-metallic wear surface and that contains the axial centerline. The axial centerline meets the inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point that is the center of a contact patch. The working point is located in a central region of the contact patch, or working surface patch, downslope of the intersection point.

A damper wedge for a railroad car truck includes a friction member that rides on the wear plate of the side frame column of the railroad car truck and a non-metallic wear surface; and a spring seat that, in use, engages a spring of the railroad car truck. The inclined damper wedge surface has a primary angle alpha, and a secondary angle beta. The spring seat has an axial centerline. The inclined damper wedge surface has a curvature. The curvature has a working point. The damper wedge has a datum plane that is normal to the non-metallic wear surface and that contains the axial centerline. The axial centerline meets the inclined damper wedge surface at an intersection point that is the center of a contact patch. The working point is located in a central region of the contact patch, or working surface patch, downslope of the intersection point.