[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR232.105]

[Page 584]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 232_BRAKE SYSTEM SAFETY STANDARDS for FREIGHT and OTHER NON-PASSENGER 
 
                     Subpart B_General Requirements
 
Sec.  232.105  General requirements for locomotives.

    (a) The air brake equipment on a locomotive shall be in safe and 
suitable condition for service.
    (b) All locomotives ordered on or after August 1, 2002, or placed in 
service for the first time on or after April 1, 2004, shall be equipped 
with a hand or parking brake that is:
    (1) Capable of application or activation by hand;
    (2) Capable of release by hand; and
    (3) Capable of holding the unit on a three (3) percent grade.
    (c) On locomotives so equipped, the hand or parking brake as well as 
its parts and connections shall be inspected, and necessary repairs 
made, as often as service requires but no less frequently than every 368 
days. The date of the last inspection shall be either entered on Form 
FRA F 6180-49A or suitably stenciled or tagged on the locomotive.
    (d) The amount of leakage from the equalizing reservoir on 
locomotives and related piping shall be zero, unless the system is 
capable of maintaining the set pressure at any service application with 
the brakes control valve in the freight position. If such leakage is 
detected en route, the train may be moved only to the nearest forward 
location where the equalizing-reservoir leakage can be corrected. On 
locomotives equipped with electronic brakes, if the system logs or 
displays a fault related to equalizing reservoir leakage, the train may 
be moved only to the nearest forward location where the necessary 
repairs can be made.
    (e) Use of the feed or regulating valve to control braking is 
prohibited.
    (f) The passenger position on the locomotive brake control stand 
shall be used only if the trailing equipment is designed for graduated 
brake release or if equalizing reservoir leakage occurs en route and its 
use is necessary to safely control the movement of the train until it 
reaches the next forward location where the reservoir leakage can be 
corrected.
    (g) When taking charge of a locomotive or locomotive consist, an 
engineer must know that the brakes are in operative condition.