[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 20058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10626]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. LI-96-4]


Petition for Extension of Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) received a request for an extension of a waiver of compliance 
with certain requirements of its safety standards. 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.

Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

Waiver Petition Docket Number: LI-96-4

    The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad (BSV) seeks a one year 
conditional extension waiver of compliance from certain sections of 
Title 49 CFR Part 230.23, Locomotive Inspection--Method of Testing 
Flexible Staybolts with Caps, for its steam locomotive JS 8419, built 
in China in 1989. It weighs 418,210 pounds, including the tender, and 
has 56,770 pounds tractive effort. This is a coal burning boiler 
equipped with a stoaker. The boiler has 80-2 inch diameter flues and 
50-5\1/4\ inch diameter superheater flues.
    Locomotive JS 8419 was purchased new by BSV and has been used only 
by BSV in tourist train service. This locomotive has travelled an 
estimated 12,600 miles since being placed in service in May 1990. The 
boiler staybolts are welded in place.
    BSV has been granted a conditional waiver, Docket No. LI-92-3, to 
operate locomotive JS 8419 in compliance with 49 CFR Section 229.31 in 
lieu of 49 CFR Section 230.108 for the main reservoirs. In December 
1992, BSV requested FRA to allow it to extend the time interval for the 
removal of the caps and examination of the flexible staybolts from two 
years as required by Section 230.23 of the steam locomotive inspection 
rules to five years. This is the first one year extension request for 
the removal of caps from flexible staybolts. The last removal of the 
caps was done in May 1994. No broken flexible staybolts were found 
during the last inspection.
    The inspection of the fire box, smoke box, boiler interior and 
exterior, locomotive running gear, and tender show no obvious 
deficiencies or defects. No vandalism has been reported.
    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 LI-96-4) 
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 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 a.m.-5 
p.m.) at FRA's temporary docket room located at 1120 Vermont Avenue, 
NW, Room 7051, Washington, DC 20005.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on March 31, 1997.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 97-10626 Filed 4-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P