Rail road freight car with damped suspension

A truck bolster for mounting cross-wise between first and second sideframes of a rail road freight car truck, said truck bolster having:

• a center plate bowl;
• first and second ends distantly outboard from said center plate bowl;
• a longitudinal axis running centrally from end to end of said bolster;
• said first end of said bolster having four bolster pockets formed thereat for accommodating a first set of friction damper wedges;
• said second end of said bolster having four bolster pockets formed thereat for accommodating a second set of friction damper wedges;
• said four bolster pockets at said first end of said bolster including first and second bolster pockets oriented to face toward a first sideframe column of the first sideframe, and third and fourth bolster pockets oriented to face toward an opposed, second sideframe column of the first sideframe;
• said first bolster pocket being outboard of said second bolster pocket, and said third bolster pocket being outboard of said fourth bolster pocket, said bolster having a first partition located between said first and second bolster pockets, and a second partition located between said third and fourth bolster pockets;
• each of said bolster pockets has a sidewall extending in a plane to which said longitudinal axis is normal;
• said bolster pockets having respective sloped surfaces each having a primary angle, alpha, measured in a planar cross-section of the bolster perpendicular to the length of the bolster between vertical and said sloped surface oriented to urge a damper engaged therewith toward one of the sideframe columns, alpha being greater than 35 degrees;
• said truck bolster has a first bolster gib between said first bolster pocket of said first end and said center plate bowl, and a second gib mounted farther from said center plate bowl than said second bolster pocket, said first and second pockets being bracketed between said first and second gibs;
• and
• said truck bolster and the first sideframe, said first sideframe being straddled by said first and second gibs;
• and said first and second gibs being spaced apart a distance leaving at least ¾″ of travel of said bolster cross-wise relative to said first sideframe to either side of a central position.