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A test facility was developed for the experimerltal investigation ofthe large spring-supported thrust bearings used in hydroelectric getzercitors. The test bearing had an outer diameter of 1.168 m, ihus making it large enough to simulate most of the features of the tlzrcisl bearings in the field, yet small enough to be placed convetlierztly in a11 engineering laboratoty. It~strumentation included a distributiotl of thennocociples and pressure taps along wirh disl~lace~nenr probes of eddy current type that were located in rhe rntor to measure oil filtn thickness. A detailed description of rhe lest facility was provided alottg with some representative results crrrrl a descriptiot~ of sotne experimental d~ficulties. A survey of the ~.elevatzt literature published in the past 40 years suggested that rlzis apparatus was ~iniqcie it1 its ability to study relatively large spring-supporied thrust bearings in the laboratory.