Since a change-over between 1950 and about 1970, railroad cars in US
interchange service use roller bearings--journals on axle ends that
rotate inside a race of cylindrical bearings ranged around the rim of
the journal.  Before roller bearings were developed, the journals were
large, hollow cylinders of brass, fitted around the axle end, and packed
with cotton or other fabric waste.  Friction between the axle end and
this brass bushing would set the cotton waste on fire if the lubricating
oil ran out, causing a hotbox and, quite often, a derailment.  Keeping
journal boxes lubed was, then, a big, expensive and unending task for
railroads.

Since the development of the petroleum industry in the 1870s, the
lubricant for railroad journals has been a heavy, petroleum-derived
grease.  Before that, it was made from animal tallow, usually from beef
or pork.  To this day, the signal for a hotbox, from a crew person or
track worker on the ground to a train crew is holding one's nose--this
probably goes back to the tallow days.  I would think beeswax would be
much too expensive, if used in the quantity necessary to lubricate the
eight journals of even one railroad car.  Was it used as an ingredient,
in a grease based in petroleum or tallow?

D. Babson.


-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim
Bowles
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 3:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Beeswax


Hello all,

Beeswax has been used for centuries upon centuries as a cavity mold for
gold castings.. Find gold and you'll find Beeswax !

The process was to make an image of Beeswax .. then cast plaster around
it {plaster .. or what ever they used back then} then melt the Beeswax
out of the mold .. and pour in the gold.

Dentists today use the same process.

Beeswax is interesting because it can be compounded to melt at any
temperature you wish very very accurately {within it's range of course}.
Auto thermostats use Beeswax to power the thermostat open!

I've not looked .. but I'd guess the Thanksgiving Turkey {"I'm done"
pop-up indicator} is powered by Beeswax ... and the wheel bearings on
railroad rolling stock use a similar device.

jb
.