[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 49, Volume 4]

[Revised as of October 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 49CFR232.107]



[Page 535]

 

                        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 B_General Requirements

 

Sec. 232.107  Air source requirements and cold weather operations.



    (a) Monitoring plans for yard air sources. (1) A railroad shall 

adopt and comply with a written plan to monitor all yard air sources, 

other than locomotives, to determine that they operate as intended and 

do not introduce contaminants into the brake system of freight 

equipment.

    (2) This plan shall require the railroad to:

    (i) Inspect each yard air source at least two times per calendar 

year, no less than five months apart, to determine it operates as 

intended and does not introduce contaminants into the brake system of 

the equipment it services.

    (ii) Identify yard air sources found not to be operating as intended 

or found introducing contaminants into the brake system of the equipment 

it services.

    (iii) Repair or take other remedial action regarding any yard air 

source identified under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section.

    (3) A railroad shall maintain records of the information and actions 

required by paragraph (a)(2). These records shall be maintained for a 

period of at least one year from the date of creation and may be 

maintained either electronically or in writing.

    (b) Condensation and other contaminants shall be blown from the pipe 

or hose from which compressed air is taken prior to connecting the yard 

air line or motive power to the train.

    (c) No chemicals which are known to degrade or harm brake system 

components shall be placed in the train air brake system.

    (d) Yard air reservoirs shall either be equipped with an operable 

automatic drain system or be manually drained at least once each day 

that the devices are used or more often if moisture is detected in the 

system.

    (e) A railroad shall adopt and comply with detailed written 

operating procedures tailored to the equipment and territory of that 

railroad to cover safe train operations during cold weather. For 

purposes of this provision, ``cold weather'' means when the ambient 

temperature drops below 10 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (minus 12.2 degrees 

Celsius).