COBRA® LF - Railroad Friction Products Corporation

COBRA ® LFLow Friction Composition Brake Shoes for LocomotivesThe Direct Replacement for Cast Iron Shoes

COBRA ® LF Low Friction Composition Brake ShoesA Cost-Effective Alternative to Cast Iron ShoesIn 1997, Railroad Friction ProductsCorporation introduced a new productto the railroad industry, the COBRA LFLow Friction Composition Brake Shoe.Designed for use on locomotivesequipped with cast iron shoes, thisinnovative new product provided acost-effective alternative to cast ironshoes, while offering the benefits oflonger life, lighter weight and lessmaintenance. And, best of all, COBRA LFComposition Brake Shoes were designedas a direct replacement for cast ironshoes. This means there are no additionalconversion costs as are normallyincurred when converting from cast ironto high friction composition shoes.STOP DISTANCE (Feet)60050040030020010005The New andImproved COBRA LFCompositionBrake ShoeNow, thanks to the most advancedresearch and development program inthe industry, RFPC has improved theCOBRA LF Composition BrakeShoe with new friction material andthe addition of a cast iron insert in thecenter of the shoe. The improvedfriction material is a completely newformulation using the latest mixingtechnology that provides significantlylonger shoe life. The cast iron insert iswelded to the backing plate and extendstoward the face of the shoe. This insertconditions the wheel tread, therebyreducing the potential for wheel damage.STOP DISTANCE – FULL INDEPENDENTLOW FRICTIONCAST IRON10 20VELOCITY (MPH)30Benefits of theNew & ImprovedCOBRA LFCompositionBrake ShoesStop DistancesAs shown in the chart, the stop distanceof a locomotive equipped withCOBRA LF Composition Brake Shoesis comparable to that of a locomotiveequipped with cast iron shoes overthe entire speed range.No Conversion CostsSince the newly designed COBRA LFComposition Brake Shoes operateunder the same brake cylinder pressureas cast iron shoes, there are absolutelyno conversions to be made, nopressures to be changed, and no airbrake equipment to be changed out oradded on. Simply remove the oldcast iron shoes and replace with thenew COBRA LF Composition Shoes.Longer Shoe LifeExtensive testing at our Dynamometerfacility shows that COBRA LFComposition Brake Shoes lastsignificantly longer than cast iron shoesand first generation low friction shoes.Longer Wheel LifeThe cast iron insert built into the shoeis more abrasive than the compositionmaterial and works continuously toremove minor tread damage andimprove the condition of the tread.This leads to longer wheel life.

Lighter WeightCOBRA LF Composition BrakeShoes weigh approximately one-thirdas much as the cast iron shoes theyreplace. For example, an offset castiron locomotive brake shoe(G-5191) weighs 23 pounds; thereplacement COBRA LF (V-551)weighs 7-3/4 pounds.SafetySince there is no handling of theheavier cast iron shoes, there is alsoless chance of injury or back strain.Additional Cost SavingsThe extended life of COBRA LFComposition Brake Shoes leadsdirectly to other cost-saving benefits,such as reduced inventory and lowerlabor costs due to less frequent brakeshoe changeouts.There’s No MistakingThese ShoesIn addition to the many benefits builtinto the new COBRA LF CompositionBrake Shoe, we’ve taken numerousprecautions to ensure that the lowfriction shoes are not mistaken forhigh friction shoes.Rejection LugsCOBRA LF Composition Brake Shoeswill fit into brake heads designed toaccept cast iron shoes, but the rejectionlugs will not permit the shoes to beapplied to brake heads designed for highfriction composition brake shoes.Installation Warnings“COBRA SHOE LOW FRICTION”is stamped into each brake shoebacking plate. In addition, a highlyvisible warning sticker is appliedto each shoe. It cautions againsttrying to install the shoe on vehiclesdesigned for high friction compositionbrake shoes.Color CodingEvery new COBRA LF CompositionBrake Shoe is painted bright yellowfor immediate identification. This willalert the installer as to the type ofreplacement shoe required even beforethe old shoes are removed.Shipping ContainerEach shipping container is given thesame yellow color coding as the shoes,and carries warning labels indicatingthat the shoes are low friction and areto be used as a replacement for castiron shoes only.Cast iron insert removes minor wheel treaddefects before they become problems.

COBRA ®LFLow Friction Composition Brake ShoesShoe Identification ChartRFPCReplacesPart Part Shoe Dimensions Average PalletNumber Number Style Length x Width Weight QuantityCOBRA LF LOW FRICTION COMPOSITION BRAKE SHOES — LOCOMOTIVEV-551 V-501 Offset 14” x 3” 7-1/2 lbs. 176V-552 V-502 Flanged 16” x 6-1/4” 16-1/4 lbs. 72V-553 V-503 Full Width 14” x 3-3/8” 7-3/4 lbs. 176V-555 V-505 Full Width 18” x 3-3/8” 9-1/2 lbs. 136Other styles available upon requestV-551 V-552 V-553 V-555RAILROAD FRICTION PRODUCTS CORPORATIONAn ISO 9001 Registered CompanyP.O. Box 1349 • Laurinburg, NC 28353(910) 844-9700 • Fax: (910) 844-9733www.wabtec.com • e-mail: kdeceuster@wabtec.com©2001 Railroad Friction Products Corporation.COBRA® is a registered trademark of Railroad Friction Products Corporation.Distributed by:AIRTEK, Inc.76 Clair StreetNorth Huntingdon, PA15642Phone: 1-800-424-7835 • Fax: 724-863-5531e-mail: airtekron@aol.comRFP-0102-1Printed in USA