[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29385-29386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12556]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Safety Advisory 2010-01

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

ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory; Safety Appliance Securement, 
Potential Failure of Welded and/or Notched Vertical Hand Brake Supports 
on FTTX Flatcars.

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2010-01 in order to provide 
guidance to interested parties concerning the inspection and repair of 
FTTX series flatcars that have welded vertical hand brake supports that 
have been modified to accommodate a 10-inch wide hand brake step. FRA's 
Office of Railroad Safety Motive Power and Equipment (MP&E) Division 
has been notified that approximately 1,851 FTTX series flatcars that 
are owned by TTX Company (TTX) may have a notch cut into the vertical 
hand brake supports, which compromises the safety of the hand brake 
support angles.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Blankenship, Mechanical Engineer, 
MP&E Division (RRS-14); FRA Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, telephone: (202) 
493-6446.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 29, 2008, at approximately 10:17 a.m. 
(CST), a railroad employee was riding a cut of four cars while 
attempting to set the hand brake on Flatcar GVSR 209000. During this 
task, the hand brake support angles, which had been previously welded, 
suddenly broke; this may have contributed to the employee falling under 
the rolling equipment, resulting in a fatality. Preliminary details of 
this incident indicate that the welded vertical hand brake support 
angles had an ``old break'' condition that allowed the remaining weld 
to fail when force was applied to the hand brake. Field investigation 
of the failed vertical hand brake support indicated that the hand brake 
and/or brackets were improperly applied or not mechanically fastened to 
the car. See Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 
231.1(a)(4)(iii) and 231.27(a)(4)(iii), and Safety Appliance Defect 
Code 231.110.B3, requiring hand brake housing to be securely fastened 
to a car. As a result of this fatality, FRA issued Safety Advisory 
2008-02 stating that additional flatcars may have vertical hand brake 
supports that could be subject to a similar type of failure.
    Recognizing the need to ensure safety, FRA recommended that 
railroads and car owners operating flatcars that have a vertical hand 
brake support that is welded to the carbody carefully inspect the cars 
to determine the adequacy of any welded securement. Further, any car 
found with a defective condition should be immediately handled for 
repair in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 20303, and repaired in accordance 
with accepted industry practice or by using approved fasteners as 
outlined in 49 CFR 231.1(a)(4)(iii). Welding, where present, must be 
done in accordance with industry practice, as specified in American 
Welding Society (AWS) Standards D1 and D15.
    Regional FRA inspectors have recently observed flatcars in TTX 
ownership with FTTX reporting marks, which may also pose a significant 
safety risk on account of notched vertical handbrake supports. The 
vertical handbrake supports appear to have been ``notched'' in order to 
apply a nonstandard 10-inch brake step in place of the 8-inch brake 
step that was originally designed for the cars. Cars tentatively 
identified that may have the nonstandard 10-inch brake step include, 
but are not limited to, the following car series:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Known cars                    Possible series involved
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FTTX 961917...............................  961370-961917
FTTX 971554...............................  971049-971613
FTTX 972703, 972762, 972235...............  972047-972946
FTTX 940540...............................  940182-940872
FTTX 963325...............................  963325
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FRA has contacted the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and 
the car owner, TTX, to alert AAR and its member railroads of the 
potential safety risk these cars may pose in service. TTX and AAR have 
issued an Early Warning (EW-5240) in accordance with AAR Rule 125, 
which includes inspection instructions, temporary repair of affected 
cars, and the recommended disposition of subject cars.
    Recommended Action: Due to the application of nonstandard 10-inch 
wide brake steps, the strength of the vertical hand brake stanchions 
may have been compromised on the above-noted FTTX flatcars. As with the 
GVSR flatcar, there is a potential for cracked vertical stanchions. FRA 
recommends and has requested that TTX furnish FRA with the following 
information for the FTTX cars involved:
    1. The number of cars in TTX ownership (to include the reporting 
marks with number series) that may have a welded vertical handbrake 
support;
    2. The location of each car that is in service or storage;
    3. Each car that has been designated for scrapping, identified by 
car number and storage location;
    4. A full description, calculations, and drawings/sketches for the 
proposed ``temporary fix'';
    5. Any cars that have a ``notched stanchion,'' and any cars with 
improperly applied hand brakes, must be handled in accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 20303. Repairs to subject cars must be performed in accordance 
with accepted industry practice or by using approved fasteners, as 
outlined in 49 CFR 231.27(a)(4)(iii). Welding, where present, must be 
performed to an acceptable manufacturing welding industry standard 
(AWS) within a certified weld facility that typically makes weld 
repairs to freight cars; and
    6. A concise ``action plan'' that includes the following:
    a. Schedule of car inspections covering those TTX cars potentially 
at risk;
    b. Description of car disposition (scrap, temporary repair, or 
permanent repair);
    c. Schedule of when all cars will have permanent repairs completed. 
Schedule to include number of cars that will be repaired on a monthly 
basis, and projected versus actual cars repaired;
    d. List of all cars that have or will have a welded repair. The 
list should include the name of the AWS-qualified shop that will make 
the repair for each car; and
    e. A final proposed permanent repair with attached drawings and 
procedures.
    At this time, FRA further recommends that AAR and TTX continue to 
inspect and repair all of the above-noted series flatcars, and 
immediately handle for repair those cars found with defective fastening 
conditions in accordance with EW-5240 via the following steps:
    1. Empty Cars. Conduct a visual inspection of the vertical hand 
brake supports for cracks or evidence of a

[[Page 29386]]

stanchion that had previously been cracked and then weld repaired.
    a. Any stanchion found with a crack in vertical stanchion, or 
cracked and then weld repaired stanchion, should be handled in 
accordance with the following: withhold car from loading; repair car 
per TTX Company Drawing No. 17057 (Rev. E), Handbrake Temporary 
Stanchion Repair; alert car owner; and request disposition of car. 
Report car as MW (Activity Code)--Car moving on AAR approved owners 
instructions-also includes move to scrap.
    b. If no defects are found, the car may remain in service. Report 
car as MR (Activity Code)--Car inspected; returned to service.
    2. Loaded Cars. Conduct a visual inspection of the vertical hand 
brake supports for cracks or evidence of a stanchion that had 
previously been cracked and then weld repaired.
    a. Any stanchion found with a crack in vertical stanchion, or 
cracked and then weld repaired stanchion should be handled in 
accordance with the following: repair car per TTX Company Drawing No. 
17057 (Rev. E), Handbrake Temporary Stanchion Repair; move car to 
destination and unload; withhold car from further loading; alert car 
owner; and request disposition of car. Report car as MW--Car moving on 
AAR approved owners instructions--also includes move to scrap.
    b. If no defects are found, the car may remain in service. Report 
car as MR--Car inspected; returned to service.
    3. Temporary Repair. The temporary repair is fully documented in 
the TTX Company Drawing identified above. The repair reinforces the 
vertical stanchions with \1/2\'' plates. These doubler plates are 
mechanically fastened to the vertical stanchions and are also 
mechanically fastened into the end sill of the car. Disposition 
requests noted in the above procedures should be directed to Mr. Rick 
Clement at TTX. His direct phone number is (312) 984-3849. His e-mail 
address is [email protected].
    FRA may modify this Safety Advisory 2010-01, 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 May 19, 2010.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-12556 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P