A swiveling undercarriage assembly that holds the wheelsets, suspension components, and braking rigging of a railcar or locomotive. By pivoting independently of the car body, it allows long vehicles to negotiate curves smoothly. In North America, this assembly is almost universally called a truck, while bogie is standard in international and some specific transit applications.
The car knocker found a cracked side frame on the lead bogie of the third hopper.
If you are working on North American freight lines, you will hear truck exclusively; bogie will instantly mark you as an outsider or someone from the transit side.
Also heard as
- truck
Related terms
Truck
The swiveling wheel and axle assembly located under each end of a railroad car or locomotive.
Wheel shop
A dedicated maintenance facility equipped to inspect, machine, and assemble railway wheelsets.
Hot box
An overheated wheel bearing on a railcar, a defect that can burn the end off an axle if missed.