The modern Timken locomotive journal bearing, aka GG, rolling element, will do a million miles. It is an opposed tapered roller bearing.
The problem is the wheels will not do a million miles. And when the wheels are changed, the journal bearings are removed and you cannot remount the journal bearings unless they has been requalified.
Depending upon the track conditions and truck design, the wheels can last anywhere from 250K to over 500K miles?. These are approximates. I cant remember the advertised numbers.
When I first started as an apprentice in the late 60's we were still making what is called a friction axle. It had friction, aka plain bearings for the motor suspension and friction journal bearings.
The motor suspension was a Babbitt bearing but the journal bearings were a bearing bronze, like SAE 660. Both used a felt wick to apply the oil to the load surface. These journal bearing were the ones BravoXray was referring to that were stolen.
