[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR215.115]

[Page 176-177]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 215--RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart B--Freight Car Components
 
Sec. 215.115  Defective roller bearing.

    (a) A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if the 
car has--
    (1) A roller bearing that shows signs of having been overheated as 
evidenced by--
    (i) Discoloration; or
    (ii) Other telltale signs of overheating such as damage to the seal 
or distortion of any bearing component;
    (2) A roller bearing with a--
    (i) Loose or missing cap screw; or
    (ii) Broken, missing, or improperly applied cap screw lock; or
    (3) A roller bearing with a seal that is loose or damaged, or 
permits leakage of lubricant in clearly formed droplets.
    (b)(1) A railroad may not continue in service a car that has a 
roller bearing whose truck was involved in a derailment unless the 
bearing has been inspected and tested by:
    (i) Visual examination to determine whether it shows any sign of 
damage; and

[[Page 177]]

    (ii) Spinning freely its wheel set or manually rotating the bearing 
to determine whether the bearing makes any unusual noise.
    (2) The roller bearing shall be disassembled from the axle and 
inspected internally if--
    (i) It shows any external sign of damage;
    (ii) It makes any unusual noise when its wheel set is spun freely or 
the bearing is manually rotated;
    (iii) Its truck was involved in a derailment at a speed of more than 
10 miles per hour; or
    (iv) Its truck was dragged on the ground for more than 200 feet.
    (3) Each defective roller bearing shall be repaired or replaced 
before the car is placed back in service.

[44 FR 77340, Dec. 31, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 26711, Apr. 21, 1980]