[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR232.405]

[Page 507-508]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 232_BRAKE SYSTEM SAFETY STANDARDS for FREIGHT and OTHER NON-PASSENGER 
TRAINS and EQUIPMENT; END-of-TRAIN DEVICES--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart E_End-of-Train Devices
 
Sec. 232.405  Design and performance standards for two-way end-of-train 
devices.

    Two-way end-of-train devices shall be designed and perform with the 
features applicable to one-way end-of-train devices described in Sec. 
232.403, except those included in Sec. 232.403(b)(3). In addition, a 
two-way end-of-train device shall be designed and perform with the 
following features:
    (a) An emergency brake application command from the front unit of 
the device shall activate the emergency air valve at the rear of the 
train within one second.
    (b) The rear unit of the device shall send an acknowledgment message 
to the front unit immediately upon receipt of an emergency brake 
application command. The front unit shall listen for this acknowledgment 
and repeat the brake application command if the acknowledgment is not 
correctly received.
    (c) The rear unit, on receipt of a properly coded command, shall 
open a valve in the brake line and hold it open

[[Page 508]]

for a minimum of 15 seconds. This opening of the valve shall cause the 
brake line to vent to the exterior.
    (d) The valve opening shall have a minimum diameter of \3/4\ inch 
and the internal diameter of the hose shall be \5/8\ inch to effect an 
emergency brake application.
    (e) The front unit shall have a manually operated switch which, when 
activated, shall initiate an emergency brake transmission command to the 
rear unit or the locomotive shall be equipped with a manually operated 
switch on the engineer control stand designed to perform the equivalent 
function. The switch shall be labeled ``Emergency'' and shall be 
protected so that there will exist no possibility of accidental 
activation.
    (f) All locomotives ordered on or after August 1, 2001, or placed in 
service for the first time on or after August 1, 2003, shall be designed 
to automatically activate the two-way end-of-train device to effectuate 
an emergency brake application whenever it becomes necessary for the 
locomotive engineer to place the train air brakes in emergency.
    (g) The availability of the front-to-rear communications link shall 
be checked automatically at least every 10 minutes.
    (h) Means shall be provided to confirm the availability and proper 
functioning of the emergency valve.
    (i) Means shall be provided to arm the front and rear units to 
ensure the rear unit responds to an emergency command only from a 
properly associated front unit.