Wheel Lathe list

[johnr57]

What precisely is turn the tyres ? How is it done ?

 

[Snow1964]

There is one on the SWR network. But I am not 100% sure where it is.

Two, one at Wimbledon, and one at Siemens depot, Northam

Not sure if it still exists but used to be a very old, slow one at Ryde St John's too

 

[cats_five]

What precisely is turn the tyres ? How is it done ?

Turn the tyres removes flats and restores the correct profile, depending of course on condition. Some flats condemn the wheel and there's a limit how far they can be turned down.

I used to imagine the wheels being removed and put on a massive lathe, but now days the stock is positioned so the wheel being turned is over a giant CNC machine.

 

[zwk500]

What precisely is turn the tyres ? How is it done ?

The metal tyres of each wheel are shaved down by the lathe to re-establish the specified conical profile across the width of the tyre. Modern lathes are nearly all computer controlled to achieve the profile.

Lathes can be of several different designs, with some able to work on wheels still attached to the train, others (mainly older types, I suspect), need the wheels separated to be placed in the lathe. Lathes can also be fixed, with the train moving forward after each axle has been machined, or mobile, with the train being stationary (normally jacked up) and the lathe moved up and down the track to the wheelsets.

As mentioned upthread as well, some lathes are more of a 'rolling road' design, whereas others can hold the centre of the axle. I assume the different designs address different issues (or the central ones are able to do more than the ones that just rotate the wheels from underneath), but am far from an expert.

Here's a picture of the Holyhead Wheel Lathe turning a wheel: https://media.service.gov.wales/media-library/holyhead-wheel-lathe-opening-10,
And a different design at Inverness: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48050909

 

[hwl]

The metal tyres of each wheel are shaved down by the lathe to re-establish the specified conical profile across the width of the tyre. Modern lathes are nearly all computer controlled to achieve the profile.

Lathes can be of several different designs, with some able to work on wheels still attached to the train, others (mainly older types, I suspect), need the wheels separated to be placed in the lathe. Lathes can also be fixed, with the train moving forward after each axle has been machined, or mobile, with the train being stationary (normally jacked up) and the lathe moved up and down the track to the wheelsets.

As mentioned upthread as well, some lathes are more of a 'rolling road' design, whereas others can hold the centre of the axle. I assume the different designs address different issues (or the central ones are able to do more than the ones that just rotate the wheels from underneath), but am far from an expert.

Here's a picture of the Holyhead Wheel Lathe turning a wheel: https://media.service.gov.wales/media-library/holyhead-wheel-lathe-opening-10,
And a different design at Inverness: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48050909

The "Holyhead" style gives the highest throughput but requires a lot of distance either side of the lathe which means the wheel lathe roads at the Thameslink, Crossrail and IET depots have to be very very long. (This may have been what made choice between Holyhead and Chester)

 

[nineteenninety]

Crewe CS (ATC) Has one but that's been out of commission for a number of years now. I remember it used to get used heavily in the autumn periods a while back.

 

[ac6000cw]

Talking of 'tyre turning', is there any modern rolling stock that has wheels fitted with separate tyres (rather than using one-piece 'monobloc' wheels)?

What precisely is turn the tyres ? How is it done ?

'Turning' is the generic term for shaping objects where the object is rotated against a basically stationary cutting tool - in this case the wheelset (two wheels on an axle) is rotated and the cutter shaves off metal in thin strips, to restore the correct profile across the 'tread' of the wheel. (The opposite technique of shaping a stationary object using a rotating cutter is called 'milling').

 

[Railworker101]

Central Rivers has a lathe

 

[PP57601]

Laira Depot (Plymouth) has one

 

[johnr57]

Talking of 'tyre turning', is there any modern rolling stock that has wheels fitted with separate tyres (rather than using one-piece 'monobloc' wheels)?


'Turning' is the generic term for shaping objects where the object is rotated against a basically stationary cutting tool - in this case the wheelset (two wheels on an axle) is rotated and the cutter shaves off metal in thin strips, to restore the correct profile across the 'tread' of the wheel. (The opposite technique of shaping a stationary object using a rotating cutter is called 'milling').

Perfect it all fits into place now - thank you , I had taken the wrong meaning of “turning”

 

[ac6000cw]

A short video (from Scotrail) of a modern underfloor wheel lathe at work:

...and in contrast, a near-100 year old traditional lathe being used at the Nevada Northern heritage railroad in the US:

11K views · 518 reactions | Shop Sunday – Our Wheel Lathe Operating a century-old railroad takes special skills — and some very special machinery. As hard as it might be to believe, railroad wheels wear out. When they do, they must be precisely tur

Shop Sunday – Our Wheel Lathe Operating a century-old railroad takes special skills — and some very special machinery. As hard as it might be to believe, railroad wheels wear out. When they do,...

www.facebook.com

 

[XFeed]

Nice to see the Scotrail Youtube video of the lathe in operation even though it portrays the wheel turning as a pretty simple task, which it isn`t.

It also implies that the unit is back in service once its left the lathe which again it isn`t as once turned it has to undergo PTT - Post Tyre Turning - testing procedures including BCU wheelsize updates, speedo tests, suspension height checks/adjustments and quite often suspension shimming too along with coupler height adjustments plus other tests and adjustments also.

All dependent on how little or much has been turned off the wheels along with not reaching the scrap line during turning.

 

[56xx]

I have asked the question on the TfW 231/756 thread to @tfw756rider as to whether the new Bogie Drop recently officially opened at Canton includes a new wheel lathe.
I wonder if anyone could explain how a bogie drop and a wheel lathe operate independently or would they both be ideally located together.

 

[Flying Phil]

I was told that this "Windcutter" 16T mineral wagon had gone to Leeds to have its tyres/wheels turned. Probably the first such wagon in over 30 years?

 

[cats_five]

Just stumbled across a Facebook post from South Devon Railways:

"‘Old Girl’ wheel lathe.

Our workshop is home to a remarkable piece of engineering history – a Fairburn McPherson & Co. wheel turning lathe that's approximately 140 years old.

Originally, this machine would have been hand-operated, with the machinist carefully working from engineering drawings to machine each wheel by hand. Over its lifetime, its thought to have been converted to a D.C. (Direct Current) drive, and today it has been thoughtfully modernised once again into a digital direct-drive system.

In simple terms, the wheelset is securely mounted in the lathe and slowly rotated while a cutting tool is brought into contact with the wheel tread and flange. The tool removes small, controlled amounts of metal to restore the correct profile, helping the wheel run smoothly, safely and accurately on the rail.

This unique "hybrid" allows us to preserve the precision and character of a Victorian machine while benefiting from the reliability and control of modern technology. It's a perfect example of how heritage engineering and innovation can work hand in hand.
Machines like this aren't just museum pieces—they're still earning their keep, producing quality work over a century after they were built."

South Devon Railway

‘Old Girl’ wheel lathe. Our workshop is home to a remarkable piece of engineering history – a Fairburn McPherson & Co. wheel turning lathe that's approximately 140 years old. Originally, this...

www.facebook.com

 

[Big Jumby 74]

This was the old one at Wimbledon in my day. Been replaced now I believe, but the practice still the same I would guess? The shavings fell in to the pit/well below before being loaded in to a skip and taken away by road lorry.

In my pic the unit (car) is the inner end bogie of a 4 CIG DTS.

 

[03_179]

Selhurst Repair Sop 16a road.

 

[saismee]

Yes a contract was set up with Freightliner to allow GAs fleets to use their facility at Ipswich although I was only involved with Stadlers passing through. Hadn’t personally seen or knew of Alstom using it.

I didn't know Stadlers used it! I only see them go towards London for that. The shunts for the lathe always seem so disorganised with the mix of crew. Surprised the Clacton(?) drivers don't just sign the yard alongside the goods loop.

 

[dk1]

I didn't know Stadlers used it! I only see them go towards London for that. The shunts for the lathe always seem so disorganised with the mix of crew. Surprised the Clacton(?) drivers don't just sign the yard alongside the goods loop.

Norwich drivers have been bringing 755 units in for a couple of years now before being piloted into the yard/depot by Freightliner.