[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 49, Volume 4]

[Revised as of October 1, 2006]

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

[CITE: 49CFR232.305]



[Page 563-564]

 

                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

 

       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 

                             TRANSPORTATION

 

PART 232_BRAKE SYSTEM SAFETY STANDARDS for FREIGHT and OTHER NON-

 

         Subpart D_Periodic Maintenance and Testing Requirements

 

Sec.  232.305  Single car air brake tests.



    (a) Single car air brake tests shall be performed by a qualified 

person in accordance with either Section 3.0, ``Tests-Standard Freight 

Brake Equipment,'' and Section 4.0, ``Special



[[Page 564]]



Tests,'' of the Association of American Railroads Standard S-486-01, 

``Code of Air Brake System Tests for Freight Equipment,'' contained in 

the AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Section E 

(January 1, 2001); an alternative procedure approved by FRA pursuant to 

Sec.  232.17; or a modified procedure approved in accordance with the 

provisions contained in Sec.  232.307. The incorporation by reference of 

these two sections of this AAR standard was approved by the Director of 

the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 

51. You may obtain a copy of the incorporated document from the 

Association of American Railroads, 50 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20001. You may inspect a copy of the document at the Federal Railroad 

Administration, Docket Clerk, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 7000, 

Washington, DC or at the National Archives and Records Administration 

(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, 

call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal--register/

code--of--federal--regulations/ibr--locations.html.

    (b) Except as provided in Sec.  232.303(e), a railroad shall perform 

a single car air brake test on a car when:

    (1) A car has its brakes cut-out or inoperative when removed from a 

train or when placed on a shop or repair track, as defined in Sec.  

232.303(a);

    (2) A car is on a shop or repair track, as defined in Sec.  

232.303(a), for any reason and has not received a single car air brake 

test within the previous 12-month period;

    (3) A car is found with missing or incomplete single car air brake 

test information;

    (4) One or more of the following conventional air brake equipment 

items is removed, repaired, or replaced:

    (i) Brake reservoir;

    (ii) Control valve mounting gasket;

    (iii) Pipe bracket stud;

    (iv) Service portion;

    (v) Emergency portion; or

    (vi) Pipe bracket.

    (5) A car is found with one or more of the following wheel defects:

    (i) Built-up tread, unless known to be caused by hand brake left 

applied;

    (ii) Slid flat wheel, unless known to be caused by hand brake left 

applied; or

    (iii) Thermal cracks.

    (c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, each car 

shall receive a single car air brake test no less than every 5 years.

    (d) Each car shall receive a single car air brake test no less than 

8 years from the date the car was built or rebuilt.

    (e) A single car air brake test shall be performed on each new or 

rebuilt car prior to placing or using the car in revenue service.

    (f) For purposes of paragraphs (b)(2), (b)(3), and (c) of this 

section, if a single car test or repair track air brake test is 

conducted on a car prior to January 1, 2001, pursuant to the then 

existing AAR standards, it shall be considered the last single car air 

brake test for that car, if necessary.



[66 FR 39688, Aug. 1, 2001]