Camshaft Engineering Company

Use of the Alco locomotives in Western Australia has now been phased out, however Camshaft Engineering Company remains the preferred and sole supplier for a number of critical valve train components for the New South Wales Rail Authority.

The components concerned, with the special features to ensure reliable performance are listed below.

Component	Features
Camshaft Rollers	Superfinished bore, profiled outer diameter, fine grain phosphate treatment all surfaces.
Clevis and Fulcrum Pins	Superfinished outer diameter, selected items phosphate treated.
Floating Bushings	Superfinished bore and outer diameter, uncoated to control friction.

One of the predominant modes of failure of the valve train was roller skidding and scuffing against the cam lobe, leading to major roller and cam lobe wear. Study showed that for replacement parts then being used, the friction co-efficient for the roller rotating on the mating pin was more than double that between the roller and the cam lobe. Under load, there was a preference for the roller to skid and scuff rather than roll over the cam lobe. This effect was observed directly during rebuilds when the engine was rotated for adjustments. Introducing superfinishing, and selected surface fine grain phosphate treatment overcame this problem.