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A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a s

A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to deflection that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The truck may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both. The friction dampers may operate to yield upward and downward friction forces that are not overly unequal. The friction dampers may be mounted in a four-cornered arrangement at each end of the truck bolster. The spring groups may include sub-groups of springs of different heights.

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We claim: 1. A bearing adapter for installation between a bearing of a railroad car truck wheelset and a pedestal mounting of a railroad car truck sideframe, the wheelset bearing having an axis of rotation defining an axial direction, and first and second axially spaced apart bearing races containe

We claim: 1. A bearing adapter for installation between a bearing of a railroad car truck wheelset and a pedestal mounting of a railroad car truck sideframe, the wheelset bearing having an axis of rotation defining an axial direction, and first and second axially spaced apart bearing races contained within a round cylindrical bearing casing of the bearing, the bearing races extending about the axis in a circumferential direction, the pedestal mounting having a roof that, in operation, lies over the bearing, wherein said bearing adapter comprises: a metal body having a pair of axially spaced apart end arches for engaging the bearing, and a first seat extending between the arches, said first seat being formed to engage the round cylindrical bearing casing of the wheel bearing, and a second seat for orientation facing toward the pedestal mounting roof; said first seat including first and second side portions having surfaces conforming to, and for mating with, the round cylindrical bearing casing at circumferentially spaced apart locations on the round cylindrical bearing casing abreast of one of the bearing races; said first seat including a central portion located circumferentially between said side portions, at least part of said central portion including a relief formed in said metal body; and, said bearing adapter being mountable on the bearing in a position in which said relief of said part of said central portion is located abreast of and above one of the bearing races and said first and second portions are located circumferentially to either side of top dead center of the bearing respectively, and, when so mounted, said first and second portions defining dominant load transfer interfaces from said bearing adapter into said bearing for vertical loads from the sideframe passed into said bearing adapter at said second seat circumferentially to either side of said relief. 2. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said bearing adapter has a first arch and a second arch, said first and second arches being axially spaced apart, with said first, second and central portions of said first seat lying therebetween. 3. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said relief formed in said bearing adapter extends predominantly axially. 4. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said first seat is relieved at top dead center locations corresponding to both of the two bearing races. 5. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said relief includes an axially extending groove. 6. The bearing adapter of claim 1 further including a circumferentially extending groove locatable on the bearing casing axially intermediate the bearing races. 7. The bearing adapter of claim 1 further including a circumferentially extending groove locatable on the bearing casing axially intermediate the bearing races and said relief includes an axially extending groove intersecting said circumferentially extending groove. 8. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said first and second side portions are formed on radiused arcs of a first radius of curvature, said radius of curvature having a center of curvature, and, at the location of said relieved part, said central portion has a surface facing toward said center of curvature, said surface of said relief lying a distance greater than said first radius of curvature from said center of curvature. 9. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said first seat has an array of pads formed on an arcuate profile each of said first and second portions including respective first and second ones of said pads, said first and second pads being circumferentially separated by said relief of said part of said central portion of said first seat. 10. The bearing adapter of claim 9 wherein: there is a first pad, and a second pad, a third pad and a fourth pad; said first pad and said second pad are axially spaced from said third and fourth pads; said first pad is circumferentially spaced from said second pad; said third pad is circumferentially spaced from said fourth pad; and said relieved part of said central portion is located circumferentially between said first pad and said second pad, and between said third pad and said fourth pad. 11. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said first seat defines an underside of said bearing adapter, said underside having a predominantly arched shape, the arched shape having an apex, and said relief lies at the apex of said arched shape and, when installed, extends over one of the bearing races. 12. The bearing adapter of claim 1 wherein said first seat defines an underside of said bearing adapter, said underside having a predominantly arched shape, said arched shape having an axially extending apex, and said relief of said part of said central portion runs axially along the apex of the predominantly arched shape. 13. The bearing adapter of claim 12 wherein the underside has a circumferentially formed groove, and said groove intersects said relief of said central portion. 14. A combination of the bearing adapter of claim 1, and a resilient pad, said resilient pad being engageable in said second seat. 15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said resilient pad extends over said central portion of said bearing adapter. 16. The combination of claim 14 wherein said bearing adapter includes end walls and corner portions co-operable to seat about pedestal jaw thrust lugs, and said resilient pad includes an end portion engageable to one of said end walls of said bearing adapter between said corner portions, and, on installation, said end portion seats between the thrust lug and the end portion. 17. The combination of the bearing adapter of claim 1 and a wheel bearing, the bearing adapter being seated thereon. 18. A railroad car truck having a pair of sideframes and a truck bolster mounted cross-wise therebetween, said sideframes having pedestal mounts, and said sideframes being mounted to wheelsets, the wheelsets having bearings, and bearing adapters according to claim 1 being mounted in said pedestal mounts on said bearings. 19. The railroad car truck of claim 18 wherein resilient pads are mounted to said bearing adapters between said second seats thereof and said pedestal mounts. 20. A bearing adapter for seating upon a rail road car truck wheelset bearing within a pedestal of a railroad car truck sideframe, said bearing adapter being made of metal; said bearing adapter having a pair of axially spaced apart arches and a first surface generally conforming to an upwardly facing portion of a cylindrical bearing casing, said first surface extending axially between said end arches, and a second surface for orientation facing a pedestal seat of the pedestal, said first surface having at least one relief formed in said metal of said bearing adapter at top dead center of said first surface, and, as seated on the bearing casing in use, said relief extending to at least one location axially abreast of a bearing race of the bearing, said first surface including first and second portions lying axially abreast of and circumferentially to either side of said relief by which to pass loads between said bearing adapter and the bearing casing abreast of that bearing race, whereby loads passed between said bearing adapter and the bearing are forced to split into dominant load paths to either side of said relief formed in said metal of said bearing adapter. 21. The bearing adapter of claim 20 wherein, as positioned in use, said first surface is relieved at top dead center axially abreast of two bearing races of the bearing. 22. The bearing adapter of claim 20 wherein, as positioned in use, said relief extends axially along top dead center of said first surface. 23. The bearing adapter of claim 20 wherein, the bearing having an axis of rotation, said second surface has an arcuate crown formed thereon, and, as positioned in use, said crown permitting rocking of the bearing in the pedestal seat in a direction cross-wise to the axis of rotation of the bearing. 24. The bearing adapter of claim 20 wherein said bearing adapter has a body made of a metal that is one of one of (a) iron; and (b) steel, and said relief is formed in said metal of said body. 25. The bearing adapter of claim 20 wherein said bearing adapter has two said reliefs formed therein, said reliefs being axially spaced from each other, and said reliefs having the form of cusps formed in said first surface. 26. A bearing adapter for seating upon a rail road car truck wheelset bearing within a railroad car truck sideframe pedestal, said bearing adapter having a body that is a casting made of one of (a) iron and (b) steel, wherein said body has a pair of axially spaced apart arches for location at either end of the bearing, and two pair of corner abutments forming respective channels for seating about sideframe pedestal thrust blocks; said body having a first surface generally conforming to an upwardly facing portion of a round cylindrical bearing casing, said first surface extending axially between said end arches, and a second surface for orientation facing the pedestal seat, said first surface being formed on a curve having an apex, said surface having at least one relief formed in said casting at said apex thereof, and, as seated on the bearing casing in use, said relief extending to at least one location axially abreast of a bearing race of the bearing, said first surface including first and second portions lying axially abreast of and circumferentially to either side of said relief by which to pass loads between said bearing adapter and the bearing casing abreast of that bearing race, whereby loads passed between said bearing adapter and the bearing are forced to split into dominant load paths to either side of said relief. 27. A combination of the bearing adapter of claim 20 and a resilient pad, said resilient pad extending over at least a portion of said second surface, and said resilient pad being shaped to permit contact of said second surface with a mating surface of a sideframe pedestal seat. 28. The combination of claim 27 wherein said second surface of said bearing adapter includes an arcuate surface having a curvature formed in the lengthwise direction of the sideframe. 29. The combination of claim 27 wherein said second surface of said bearing adapter includes an arcuate surface having a curvature formed in a cross-wise direction relative to the sideframe to permit sideways swinging of the sideframe. 30. The railroad car truck of claim 27 wherein said second surface of each said bearing adapter includes an arcuate surface having a curvature formed in the lengthwise direction of the sideframe. 31. The railroad car truck of claim 27 wherein said truck is a self-steering truck. 32. The combination of claim 27 wherein said second surface of said bearing adapter includes an arcuate surface having a curvature formed in the lengthwise direction of the sideframe. 33. The combination of claim 27 wherein said second surface of said bearing adapter includes an arcuate surface having a curvature formed in a cross-wise direction relative to the sideframe to permit sideways swinging of the sideframe.