It might be just me, but recently I have been noticing more frequently that certain cars are "noisier". What I mean is that when the bogie passes by me I notice very distinct 'ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching' noise coming from that specific bogie or car end. Most cars pass by with 'wizzzz wizzzz' noise. I notice this in places with continuous rail, so it is not a break or thermal joint in the rail causing this noise. I am not familiar with maintenance practices on NJT, but is this sign of stuck break shoe? Flat wheel? Something else? Most of the time I have observed this with only one car out of a whole consist of 6 to 12 coaches. I have heard it on both Comets and Multi-levels. Multiple times it has been the head car. I have never observed it on the engine, but the engines are generally noisier, even the electric ones, so maybe it has been drowned out by the rest of the noise.
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Flat spots caused by slip and slide during heavy braking.
Could be a broken ground brush box.
EuroStar wrote:It might be just me, but recently I have been noticing more frequently that certain cars are "noisier". What I mean is that when the bogie passes by me I notice very distinct 'ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching' noise coming from that specific bogie or car end. Most cars pass by with 'wizzzz wizzzz' noise. I notice this...
I have also noticed something similar, but for ALP46/46A powered trains only. I've noticed a grinding-like noise when braking coming from the cars, and it seems to only happen on 46/46A powered trains. I have never noticed on a PL42/ALP45DP/or GP40 powered train
Fan Railer wrote:Flat spots caused by slip and slide during heavy braking.By the sound of it, I suspected flat wheels. Now how do you get a flat wheel on only one truck? While the pneumatic pressure wave takes some time to travel from the engine to the other end of the train, I do not understand why only one of the trucks on only one of the cars in a consist will develop this problem.
And a second question: how dangerous is this? There is no way flat wheels are good for safety, but how bad are they? How bad is the danger of derailment?