With the solid friction bearing axles as in this pictured truck. The truck needs to be disassembled to replace a wheel set (2 wheels and axle). The paper between the jack and steel body is to reduce slipping of the steel on steel surface.

That jack is very similar to the ones my father had stored in his garage. He used a couple to jack up the front and back porches on his house (for long term stability). He called them "house" jacks, and I'm sure they are still doing their jobs 60 years after installation!

Now that's what I call a faith-based initiative!

Wheel taper is 2 degrees 50 minutes. The taper is designed to keep the flanges off the rail heads and to eliminate hunting. The wheels are pressed onto the axles. This particular car has 33 inch wheels and plain bearings. It would be another 20 years before roller bearings were in widespread use on freight cars.

Tapered wheels keep the wheels centered on the rails and allow for the different distances each wheel travels when going around curves since they have a solid connection via the axle to the opposite wheel. In an ideal world the flanges should never touch the rails in reality they do however.

We first saw a track jack and Texas toothpick back here. I don't quite understand the padding that seems to be sitting on the business end of the jack.

There probably is another jack out of view to the left. He'll be removing the whole truck (both axes...er...axles and all 4 wheels). If he was just removing one pair of whhels he'd have to support the truck somehow instead of the frame of the car.

When they told him to go get a Duff he thought they meant Beer.

I believe both wheels shared a common axe. So to make a change he needs another jack. Quiz time: why were the outer rims tapered?

[That axe never stops sharpening. - Dave]

Delano caught it on one of the RIP tracks. Repair In Place.