[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63115-63116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29929]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Petition for Exemption or Waiver of Compliance
In accordance with Title 49 CFR Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice
is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has
received requests for exemptions from or waivers of compliance with a
requirement of its safety standards. The individual petitions are
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory
provisions involved, and the nature of the relief being requested.
Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for
their request.
All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-
9) and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of
Chief Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. Communications received within 45 days of the
date of publication of this notice, will be considered by FRA before
final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
considered as far as practicable. All written communications concerning
these proceedings are available for examination during regular business
hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) in Room 8201, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh
Street SW., Washington, DC 20590.
The individual petitions seeking an exemption or waiver of
compliance are as follows:
Tioga Central Railroad (TIOC)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-9)
The TIOC seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
five locomotives and seven passenger cars. The TIOC has relocated their
tourist passenger operation from Owego, New York, to Wellsboro,
Pennsylvania. The train operates on the former Consolidated Rail
Corporation Corning Secondary line from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, to a
point south of the Gang Mills Yard in New York. The railroad states the
route is very rural with a few small hamlets along the way. Vandalism
has been minimal since relocating.
Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, Incorporated (ATRW)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-10)
The ATRW seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
two locomotives. Locomotives CRP 56 and 57 were built by EMD in 1948.
The railroad states that
[[Page 63116]]
the locomotives are equipped with FRA glazing in the windshields but
the original safety glass has been retained in other locations for
historical purposes. The locomotives are used primarily in excursion
passenger service but will be used in very limited freight service. The
ATRW operates on the Southern Railroad of New Jersey.
West Jersey Railroad (WJ)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-11)
The WJ seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
one locomotive. The locomotive, WJ 7803, an ALCO model RS-3 road
switcher built in 1952, will be operated on 15 miles of track between
Hartford and Paw Paw, Michigan. The area is very rural and not subject
to vandalism.
Decatur Junction Railway Company (DT)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-12)
The DT seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
one locomotive. The locomotive, WJ 7804, an ALCO model RS-3 road
switcher built in 1952, was formerly used on the West Jersey Railroad
in Salem, New Jersey. The locomotive will be operated on 15.4 miles of
track between Cisco and Green's Switch, Decatur, Illinois, and 16.6
miles between Elwin and Assumption, Illinois. The area is rural farm
country. The DT has trackage rights on the Illinois Central Railroad
between Elwin and Green's Switch and operate over this area no more
than one or two times per week.
Vandalia Railroad Company (VRRC)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-13)
The VRRC seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
one locomotive. The locomotive, number 56, is an ALCO Model T-6
switcher. Waiver RSGM 94-21 was recently granted to the West Jersey
Railroad for operation of this locomotive at Salem, New Jersey. The
locomotive has now been moved to the affiliated VRRC. The locomotive
will be operated over approximately 2.54 miles of track at Vandalia,
Illinois. This is a small rural farming community with very little
vandalism.
Massachusetts Central Railroad Corporation (MCER)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-14)
The MCER seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
one locomotive. The locomotive, number 4243, is an ALCO road switcher.
The MCER operates on approximately 24.8 miles of track between Palmer
and South Barre, Massachusetts, and 2.6 miles on the Bondsville Branch
between Forest Lake Junction and Bondsville, Massachusetts. The
railroad states there have been no incidents of broken glass due to
vandalism.
Florida Central Railroad (FCEN)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-15)
The FCEN seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for
four passenger cars. The cars were recently acquired from the New
Georgia Railroad. The cars will be operated four to five times per week
in excursion or dinner train service.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
(Waiver Petition Docket Number H-95-5)
The SEPTA is seeking a five year test waiver of compliance from
Section 229.29(a) of the Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards, (Title
49 CFR Part 229) for 33 electric MU locomotives. SEPTA is requesting
that it be permitted to extend the clean, oil, test and stencil (COT&S)
period from 24 months to 60 months on 8 test cars equipped with 26-R
Brake Equipment and 25 test cars with PS-68 Brake Equipment. The test
cars represent approximately 10 percent of their fleet of 304 electric
MU locomotives. SEPTA states that the condition of the brake equipment
at the two year overhaul indicates the maintenance cycle could be
increased.
The test locomotives would be selected from those due COT&S at the
inception of the test. Each test car will be so identified and its
computer work report will show the test status. Major valvular
components will be sealed so that tampering or changes can be detected.
Monitoring will consist of a weekly check of road failure reports and
computer work order records as well as any special failure reports, and
a check at each periodic inspection to ensure that the original test
components are intact. The test locomotives will be run beyond their
two year COT&S cycle with one 26-R and two PS-68 locomotives being
overhauled at three and four year intervals after their last overhaul.
Each valve will be tested prior to a tear down inspection which will be
witnessed by SEPTA's project manager, manufacturer's representatives
and FRA. Failed components will be analyzed to determine if the failure
could have been prevented by a two year COT&S period. Final analysis of
the data will be used to determine if the COT&S cycle can be extended.
Issued in Washington, DC on December 4, 1995.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 95-29929 Filed 12-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P