[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 209 (Thursday, October 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58089-58090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29005]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for 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 a waiver of compliance from 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.

Florida East Coast Railway Company (Waiver Petition Docket Number 
FRA-1998-4648)

    The Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC) seeks a waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Railroad Power Brake and 
Drawbars regulations, 49 CFR Section 232, in order to administer a test 
program involving a test train equipped with an Electronically 
Controlled Pneumatic Brake (ECPB) system, manufactured by GE Harris 
Railway Electronics, L.L.C. (GE Harris), that operates from a radio 
signal. FEC has the support of GE Harris in this pilot test program 
that is tentatively scheduled to run from November 1998 through July 
1999. This test program would need relief from 49 CFR 232, Appendix B, 
Specifications and Requirements for Power Brakes and Appliances For 
Operating Power-Brake Systems For Freight Service, as well as, other 
areas of Part 232 that reference the control of train brakes by 
increasing or reducing brake pipe pressure.
    An FEC aggregate unit train will be used for this test program. 
Approximately 100 aggregate cars (plus 10 spare rail cars) and a group 
of four FEC GP-40-3, 3000 hp locomotives, will be equipped with the GE 
Harris EPx Direct Braking system. This train will operate as 
a unit train that makes a daily round trip from Miami to Cocoa (City 
Point), Florida, and return. In conjunction with FEC crew training, it 
is GE Harris' intention to provide field support prior to and during 
the test program. This field support will consist of manning the test 
rain with capable and knowledgeable personnel.
    FEC and GE Harris offers the following information about the GE 
Harris EPx Direct Braking system. The system uses 
electronically controlled brake valves to operate freight car brakes as 
opposed to solely pneumatically controlled brakes. The EPx 
Direct Braking system on this test rain will perform identically to 
current ECPB trains in operation today. With the EPx Direct 
Braking system there is a pneumatically controlled valve which monitors 
train brake pipe pressure. Should the brake pipe pressure fall at a 
rate of 16 psi per second (or greater), or if brake pipe pressure falls 
below 50 psi, the train is automatically placed into an emergency brake 
application condition. This valve provides a method to apply emergency 
brakes independent of the electronically controlled brake value mode of 
operation, thereby incorporating a redundant level of safety on the 
train analogous to the current emergency brake systems. Another 
capability of the EPx Direct Braking system is a full 
emulation of the current ABDX style valve. This means the entire train 
can be run using brake pipe pressure to control the train's brakes 
(traditional pneumatic control mode), as an alternative to the electric 
mode should the need arise. The EPx Direct Braking system 
consists of a Car Control Device, On-Car power source (Power Generator, 
Voltage Regulator, and Battery), and two antennae mounted to each rail 
car. Locomotive equipment consists of a Head End Unit (Operator's 
Interface), Communications Module (Radio and two antennae.
    Prior to the actual test program train, GE Harris will functionally 
verify each pneumatic emulating electronic brake value against required 
performance parameters at their lab in Melbourne, Florida. A static 
rail car test will be performed in two separate phases. Phase 1 will 
validate the ABDX emulating mode of brake value operation. The second 
phase will validate the communication channel and network integrity. 
Upon completion of all static and brake rack tests, actual ECPB control 
will be tested in detail using the communications channel on the 
Florida East Coast Railroad. These tests will be conducted on sidings 
and/or controlled (closed to other traffic) track. A Test Readiness 
Review of all complied data will be conducted, whereby all parties will 
be provided with the actual test results of each previous test phase 
and how the results meet the performance requirements necessary to 
operate a test train safely and confidently. The test train will be 
assembled and after a week of successful static testing, a moving test

[[Page 58090]]

will take place, ultimately leading to the operation of a 100 car test 
train use in revenue service.
    FEC believes the GE Harris EPx Direct Braking system 
fully complies with the intent of the Railroad Power Brake and Drawbars 
regulations, 49 CFR Part 232, and that safety will not be compromised. 
In all phases of the test program, a fully functional emergency portion 
of the valve is in place and will react if activated.
    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 H-98-1) 
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of 
Chief Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Mail 
Stop 10, Washington, DC 20590. Communications received within 30 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 
(9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) at FRA's temporary docket room located at 1120 
Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 7051, Washington, DC 20005.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 23, 1998.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 98-29005 Filed 10-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-M