[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: 49CFR232.405]



[Page 552-553]

 

                        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 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



[[Page 553]]



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.