[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76516-76517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27901]


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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 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.

New York Airbrake Corporation [Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2000-
7367]

    The New York Air Brake Corporation (NYAB) seeks modification of the 
existing waiver FRA-2000-7367 (formerly H-95-3) to include its new CCB-
26 electronic airbrake system. The existing waiver, which was first 
granted on September 13, 1996, extended the interval for cleaning, 
repairing, and testing pneumatic components of the NYAB Computer 
Controlled Brake (CCB, now referred to as CCB-I) locomotive air brake 
system under 49 CFR 229.27(a)(2) and 49 CFR 229.29(a) from 736 days to 
5 years. This waiver was modified to include NYAB's CCB-II electronic 
air brake system on August 20, 1998. Based on successful performance of 
the two NYAB electronic air brake systems under the conditions of the 
1996 and 1998 waivers, the waiver was extended for another five years 
on September 10, 2001 and the conditions of the waiver were modified on 
September 22, 2003.
    NYAB describes the new CCB-26 electronic air brake system as an 
adaptation of the CCB-II system designed to be used on locomotives 
without integrated cab electronics. It uses many of the same sub-
assemblies of pneumatic valves, electronic controls and software 
(referred to as line replaceable units or LRUs) as the CCB-II. Some 
changes have been made to simplify the system while maintaining or 
increasing the level of safety. For example, the penalty brake 
interface has been changed to mimic the 26L system interface, allowing 
for a fully pneumatic penalty brake application. Also, the brake 
cylinder pilot pressure development has been simplified from an 
electronic control to a fully pneumatic version based on proven 
components.
    Much of the software and diagnostic logic which detects critical 
failures and takes appropriate action to effect a safe stop has been 
carried over from CCB-II. Overall, NYAB characterizes the CCB-26 as 
being more similar to CCB-II than CCB-II is to CCB-I. As a final check 
on the performance of the CCB-26 system, it will be included in 
existing NYAB failure monitoring and recording systems as required by 
the already effective waiver.
    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

[[Page 76517]]

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 FRA-
2000-7367) and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Docket 
Management Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, SW., 
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 a.m.-5 
p.m.) at the above facility. All documents in the public docket are 
also available for inspection and copying on the Internet at the docket 
facility's Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78). The statement 
may also be found at http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 13, 2004.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 04-27901 Filed 12-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P