@big train posted:I think the item is an empty/load adjuster. If the car is loaded, the truck springs compress and the bolster will drop in relationship to the sideframe. As it drops the arm pivots as it makes contact with the top of the frame, activating something in the brake system to reflect the weight of the car.
I suspect that on the car side above the appliance, it will say something like "EMPTY/LOAD 1/4 ADJ. BLOCK".
Jim
What? The brakes on a freight car operate the same loaded or empty.