[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36107-36108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17455]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waivers of Compliance

    In accordance with 49 CFR Sections 211.9, 211.41 and 211.45, notice 
is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has 
received a request for a waiver of compliance with certain requirements 
of the Federal safety laws and regulations. The individual petition is 
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested and the 
petitioner's arguments in favor of relief.

3R International

[Docket Numbers F-96-3, RSGM-96-6, LI-96-1, SA-96-3 and PB-96-4]

    3R International (3R) requests waivers of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) railroad safety 
regulations. It is seeking relief from sections of the Railroad Freight 
Car Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 215) Docket number F-96-1, Railroad 
Safety Glazing Standards (49 CFR Part 223) Docket number RSGM-96-1, 
Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 229) Docket number 
LI-96-1, Railroad Safety Appliance Standards (49 CFR Part 231) Docket 
number SA-96-3, and Railroad Power Brake and Drawbar Regulations (49 
CFR Part 213) Docket number PB-96-4. The relief is being sought in 
order to place in service what the petitioner describes as the 3R road/
rail system. The 3R system was developed and two 3R trains have been 
operated by the Canadian National Railway in revenue service without 
incident in Canada for the previous two years.
    The 3R road/rail system provides the means to transform a common 
semi-trailer at little cost for use in a convoy on railway tracks. This 
adaptation is made by adding at the rear of a semi- trailer or 
container carrying chassis a second king-pin similar to that used at 
the front of a semi-trailer. The 3R road/rail system is composed of a 
control cab unit which is used as a crew station at the front end of 
the convoy and contains all the electronic controls for the intermodal 
train, but has no propulsion capability, nor does it have an air 
compressor. The control cab has a console type control stand with 
computer screens. Air is supplied by the power units through the main 
air reservoir pipe which runs through the train and into the cab 
control unit, where it is supplied to the brake pipe through the 26 L 
feed valve. A 26 L type air brake with a 30CW controller is located on 
the console. The control cab unit does have an engine/generator set to 
provide power for the control system and battery charging. The control 
cab unit controls the power units remotely by radio, but a hard wire 
capability is available. It is equipped with two non-driving rail 
wheel/axle sets and a set of retractable rubber tires for off rail 
movement. The control cab unit contains a fifth wheel which engages and 
locks the kingpin of the first semi-trailer in the convoy or a power 
unit. Subsequent semi-trailers are transported on bogies which contains 
two rail wheel sets and two fifth wheels for securing the kingpin of 
the semi-trailers. A power unit is incorporated in the convoy at 
intervals of eight to ten semi-trailers. For intermodal operation, each 
power unit can haul seven to eight trailers of 93,500 pounds at 65 mph.
    The 3R system allows the assembly of a convoy directly in the yard 
of a customer and such convoy remains intact until it reaches its 
destination. Assembling is made on a rail siding which can be accessed 
by a highway tractor. The train is made up by placing a semi-trailer 
upon a bogie and locking onto the kingpin, raising the highway wheels 
and moving the assembled portion of the train a distance sufficient to 
place each subsequent semi-trailer in the train. A power unit is placed 
between two semi-trailers and connected by a kingpin at one end to the 
adjacent bogie's fifth wheel and to the kingpin of the semi-trailer 
with the power units fifth. A dead weight unit, which contains a 
standard automatic coupler, is placed as a counter weight at the back 
end of the last bogie in the train. The coupler allows hauling from the 
back end with a maximum tractive effort of 50,000 pounds.
    3R request for a waiver from the requirements of 49 CFR Part 215 is 
based upon the fact that the semi-trailer is not a rail car. However, 
all those parts of the train that are referenced in the regulation, 
i.e., wheels, trucks, springs, etc. are required to be in compliance, 
and are contained within the bogies. The bogies are fabricated of steel 
elements arranged to encompass 2-AAR 6 by 11 cartridge roller bearings 
and wheel sets. A sub assembly contains 2-fifth wheels which engage the 
kingpin of the semi-trailers. The sub-assembly is raised by 12 air bags 
which lift the tires off the ground after the semi-trailer is connected 
to the bogie. The bogie is equipped with an ABD air brake.
    3R request for a waiver from 49 CFR part 223 is related to the 
glazing material of the control cab. The glazing material is in 
compliance with the Canadian Transport Commission (CTC) Railway Safety 
Glazing Regulations. 3R indicates that the front and side facing 
glazing is in conformity with CTC regulations. It may not be in 
compliance with FRA glazing standards.
    3R request for a waiver from 49 CFR Part 229 is for the control cab 
and the power units within the train, which are defined in the 
Locomotive Safety Standard, 49 CFR 229.5(k) as Locomotives. The control 
cab has no propelling motors but has a control stand and the power 
units have propelling motors designed to move other equipment. The 
control cab is designed with two front collision posts which will 
withstand 500,000 pounds each at a height of 30 inches above the 
underframe. It can also withstand 200,000 pound load compression 
between front coupler and kingpin without permanent deformation. The 
power units are placed in the train to provide traction power through a 
40 inch wheel set and an axle mounted traction motor. The power unit is 
designed so that one end rides on and is connected to the adjacent 
bogie by the kingpin and the other end connects to the king-pin of an 
adjacent semi-trailer. The power unit contains a 12 cylinder 
Caterpillar diesel engine driving a Kato traction alternator. The 
engine is rated at 730 horsepower and the traction

[[Page 36108]]

alternator has a continuous capacity 1250 amps, and a 15 minute rating 
of 1700 amps at a maximum voltage rating of 1250 direct current. The 
power unit is self contained encompassing all the accessories necessary 
for a locomotive. The power units also contain a hydraulic driven 2-
stage air compressor which provides air for the air brake system and 
train air for the balloon suspension system of the bogies.
    3R request for a waiver from 49 CFR Part 231 and 232 is for the 
lack of safety appliances and handholds on the bogies, rear counter 
weight, or semi-trailers in the train. The cab control unit has an 
automatic front coupler and some safety appliances. Some handholds are 
applied to the power units. The semi-trailers are connected to the 
bogies by use of kingpins and fifth wheels commonly found in highway 
tractor/semi-trailer service. The cab control unit, power units and 
bogies have no hand brakes per se, but are equipped with a spring 
loaded parking brake.
    The 3R rail system has not been used in the United States. A 
consist of a cab control unit, a power unit, three containers on 
chassis (semi-trailers), one dead weight unit, and sufficient bogies to 
assemble the train was tested by the Association of American Railroads 
(AAR) at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, 
Colorado, from December 1994 to April 1995. The train was tested 
according to the specifications of Chapter XI, of the AAR's M-1001, 
Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices. The 3R train performed 
within Chapter XI performance standards, and indicate the likelihood of 
safe car performance.
    3R's objective in the United States is to allow short line 
operators to benefit from their value added road/rail transportation 
system, by transporting on rail, the freight that would be destined to 
an alternate and less desirable mode of transportation. When the waiver 
petition was submitted by 3R, two United States short line railroads 
had shown a strong interest in its road/rail system. Rail America, one 
of the short lines, would like to operate two road/rail convoys of six 
power units each with sixty containers. The equipment will operate at 
approximately 45 mph and haul domestic waste in 82,500 pound containers 
from inner-city points to suburban waste dumps.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proceeding by 
submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with this proceeding 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 LI-96-1) 
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of 
Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif Building, 400 
Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Communications received 
within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice will be 
considered 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 a.m.-5 p.m.) in Room 8201, 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1996.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 96-17455 Filed 7-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P