[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26403-26404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4173]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Safety Advisory 2006-03

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory; Vertical Load Dividers.

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2006-03, in order to provide 
interested parties information related to the potential failure of the 
welded attachment of vertical load dividers on certain center beam 
lumber flat cars. The welded attachment of the vertical load dividers 
on these cars can break away from the car body structure. The vertical 
load dividers are hollow square tubular steel beams approximately eight 
(8) feet in height that are welded to the car body structure. The 
vertical beams serve as load dividers for packaged lumber products.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Newman, Staff Director, Motive 
Power and Equipment Division (RRS-14), FRA Office of Safety Assurance 
and Compliance, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20590, 
telephone: (202) 493-6241 or Thomas Herrmann, Deputy Assistant Chief 
Counsel, FRA Office of Chief Counsel, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20590, telephone: (202) 493-6036.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA was recently made aware of the weld 
failure of a vertical load divider on center beam lumber flat car GWRC 
52850. The failure occurred while the car was traveling on the main 
line of the Long Island Railroad. One of the vertical load divider 
beams detached (broke away) at its base from the main car body and came 
to rest on a Long Island Railroad passenger station platform (See 
Figure 1). This incident occurred on August 31, 2005, and resulted in 
no injuries. A post accident analysis of the weld attachment of the 
vertical load divider beam revealed poor and insufficient weld of the 
vertical load divider beams at time of original car construction. The 
involved car is one of five (5) center beam lumber flat cars owned by 
the Georgia Woodlands Railroad Company. As a result of this incident, 
Georgia Woodlands Railroad Company had the vertical load divider beams 
on all five of its cars re-welded and reinforced with support gussets 
to prevent the dividers from breaking in the area of the original weld.
    FRA has reviewed ownership records of 52-foot, 8-inch, center beam 
flat cars and recommends that the 579 cars, identified below, receive 
an inspection and repair, if necessary, of the welded attachment of the 
vertical load dividers to prevent a potential catastrophic event. The 
following cars have been identified as having the potential for weld 
failures:

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                                                                                                      Number of
             Car type                    Car numbers           AAR car type          GRL, lbs.           cars
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52'-8'' C-Beam Flat...............  BCOL 52100-52454.....  F-281..............  220 k..............          347
52'-8'' C-Beam Flat...............  BCOL 52650-52801.....  F-281..............  220 k..............          141
52'-8'' C-Beam Flat...............  BCOL 52802-52900.....  F-281..............  220 k..............           91
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[[Page 26404]]

    Recommended Action: In recognition of the need to assure safety, 
FRA recommends that railroads and car owners carefully inspect the 
welded attachment of the vertical load divider on center beam lumber 
flat cars. The best inspection of the welded attachment would include 
the use of a dye penetrant type procedure to thoroughly detect weld 
cracks. FRA further recommends that cars found with poor or defective 
welds be repaired by using new welds and gussets in accordance with 
good quality control shop practices.
    Car owners are encouraged to voluntarily take action to inspect and 
repair any center beam lumber flat cars that may be equipped with 
welded vertical load dividers. Failure of car owners to voluntarily 
take action consistent with the above recommendations may result in FRA 
pursuing other corrective measures to enforce public safety under its 
rail safety authority. FRA may modify Safety Advisory 2006-03, issue 
additional safety advisories, or take other appropriate action 
necessary to ensure the highest level of safety on the nation's 
railroads.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 27, 2006.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN04MY06.000

[FR Doc. 06-4173 Filed 5-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-C