[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR231.28]

[Page 417-418]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 231--RAILROAD SAFETY APPLIANCE STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 231.28  Box and other house cars with roof hatches built or placed in service after October 1, 1966.

    The specifications of Sec. 231.27 shall apply except as to the 
following:
    (a) Running boards. Same as specified in Sec. 231.1, except: the end 
of longitudinal running board shall be not less than six (6) inches from 
a vertical plane parallel with end of car and passing through the inside 
face of knuckle when closed with coupler horn against buffer block or 
end sill.
    (b) Ladders--(1) Number. Two (2).
    (2) Dimensions. (i) Minimum clear length of tread: Sixteen (16) 
inches.
    (ii) Maximum spacing between treads nineteen (19) inches.
    (3) Location. One (1) on each end of car not more than eight (8) 
inches from left-hand side.
    (4) Manner of application. Same as specified in Sec. 231.1.
    (c) Roof handholds--(1) Number. Two (2), one (1) over each ladder.
    (2) Dimensions. Same as specified in Sec. 231.1.

[[Page 418]]

    (3) Location. On roof of car. One (1) parallel to treads of each 
ladder, not less than eight (8) nor more than fifteen (15) inches from 
edge of roof, except on refrigerator cars where ice hatches prevent, 
when location may be nearer edge of roof.
    (4) Manner of application. Same as specified in Sec. 231.1.
    (d) End handholds. (Treads of end ladders are end handholds.) Same 
as specified for Sec. 231.27.
    (e) Existing box and other house cars with roof hatches. Box and 
other house cars with roof hatches built on or before April 1, 1966, or 
under construction prior thereto and placed in service before October 1, 
1966, shall be deemed equipped as nearly as possible within the intent 
of Sec. 231.1 and of this section when: Equipped as specified in 
Sec. 231.1, except (1) the side ladder treads above the fourth tread 
from bottom of side ladder near ``A'' end of car and roof handhold over 
the side ladder near ``A'' end shall be removed; (2) and (1) end 
platform handhold shall be provided on each end of car as specified in 
Sec. 231.27(i); and when handbrake is operated near roof of car a brake 
step shall be provided as specified by Sec. 231.1 or when handbrake is 
operated from approximate level of top of end sill the roof handhold 
over side ladder near ``B'' end and treads above the fourth tread from 
bottom of side ladder near ``B'' end shall be removed and a brake step 
as specified in Sec. 231.1 shall be used with top of tread surface level 
with or not more than four (4) inches below adjacent end handhold.

(Secs. 2, 4, and 6, 27 Stat. 531, as amended; secs, 1 and 3, 32 Stat. 
943, as amended; sec. 6(e) and (f), 80 Stat. 939 (45 U.S.C. 2, 4, 6, 8, 
and 10, 11-16 and 49 U.S.C. 103(c)(1))

[33 FR 19663, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 49 FR 26745, June 29, 1984]