The axle box device is a component installed on the railway rolling stock and sleeved on the axle neck to connect the wheelset and the bogie frame or the two-axle car body. It is referred to as the axle box. The axle box of a railway vehicle is installed on the outside of the wheel, and the axle box on the steam locomotive moving wheel and guide wheel is installed on the inside of the wheel. Its function is to transfer the weight and load of the car body to the wheel set, lubricate the journal, reduce friction, and reduce running resistance.

Axle box devices can be divided into sliding bearing axle box devices and rolling bearing axle box devices according to the type of bearings used. Early rolling stock used sliding bearing axle box devices. 20 began to trial rolling bearing axle box devices at the beginning of the century, and has now replaced sliding bearing axle box devices.

Compared with sliding bearings, rolling bearings have small friction coefficients, which reduce the starting resistance and running resistance of rolling stock; rolling bearings have small wear, generate low heat, and are easy to dissipate, which can reduce the incidence of "hot shaft" and "heating" accidents; rolling bearings have high speed and large load-bearing capacity; shortened maintenance time and improved use efficiency; reduced operating costs, no need for regular shaft inspections; easy to use, high interchangeability, etc.

At present, all railway locomotives and passenger vehicles in my country have been equipped with rolling bearing axlebox devices, and railway freight cars have been equipped with axleboxless rolling bearing devices.

Source: Railway Vehicle Resource Platform

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