Locomotive Safety StandardsPart 229

Subpart B – Inspections & Tests

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Module Objectives
        - Apply FRA Safety Standards
        - Recognize deviations from the standards

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Subpart B - Overview

Inspections & Tests:
        - 229.21- Daily inspection 
        - 229.23 - Periodic inspection, general 
        - 229.25 - Tests: Every periodic inspection 
        - 229.27 - Annual tests 
        - 229.29 - Biennial tests 
        - 229.31 - Main reservoir tests 
        - 229.33 - Out-of-use credit 

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Daily Inspection
        - Each locomotive in use must be inspected at least once each calendar day.
        - Excluding movements under §229.9, a locomotive that has received a daily inspection the calendar day prior to use, may be used provided the locomotive does not have any non-complying conditions.
        - Excluding §§229.9, 229.137 & 229.139, a locomotive found with non-complying conditions must be repaired prior to use. 

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Talk about scenarios where bullet three can come into play, e.g., yard locomotives.

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Daily InspectionDocumentation & Retention
        - A written report shall be made of the daily inspection.
        - The written report shall contain the following information:

RR name.

Initials & number of locomotive.

Place, date & time of inspection.

Description of each non-complying condition found.

Signature of person making inspection and making repairs.

Notation indicating nature of repairs made.
        - A record of the previous daily inspection shall be maintained in the locomotive cab.
        - Each written report shall be maintained for 92 days.

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Daily InspectionMU Locomotives
        - The same inspection, documentation and retention requirements apply to MU locomotives however, the documentation associated with the inspection may be part of single master report covering and entire group of MU locomotives.
        - If a non-complying condition is found on an MU locomotive, a separate, individual report shall be made containing the information discussed on the previous slide.

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Daily Inspection & Cab Sanitation
        - A locomotive defective under §§229.137 & 229.129 does not render the locomotive non-compliant.
        - The locomotive may continue to be used provided certain conditions are met (see matrix).
        - A sanitation compartment on a locomotive can only be defective at the daily inspection...meaning railroads are only obligated to meet the conditions required by the regulation when found defective at the daily inspection.

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Daily Inspection Qualified Person
        - The regulation requires the daily inspection to be performed by a qualified person.
        - Bear in mind that the regulation is silent in terms of minimum qualification in terms knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to be considered a qualified person.
        - The burden of proof is on FRA to show why a person isn’t qualified to perform a daily inspection.

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Periodic Inspection & Tests
        - This inspection and test is required every 92 calendar days.
        - Numerous items are to be tested and inspected at this time.
        - FRA cannot require railroads to perform this inspection with the locomotive over an inspection pit, but the railroad must position the locomotive at a location where the entire under portion of the locomotive can be inspected.

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Periodic InspectionDocumentation & Retention
        - Inspections and tests required at the PI are recorded on the F8180.49A form (blue card).
        - The person(s) doing the work and person’s supervisor shall sign the card attesting that the work was done.
        - Two copies of the current 49Afor each locomotive are required, one shall be maintained on the locomotive, the other shall be maintained in railroad files, (a third 49A is required for the preceding year, see 5th bullet).
        - The 49A shall be renewed by April 2 of each calendar year.  
        - The previous 49A maintained on the locomotive shall be replaced with a new one, with the previous 49A placed in railroad files and maintained for one year.
        - The date & place of the previous annual, biennial, (really triennial), and MR tests shall be transferred from the previous 49A onto the new 49A. 

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Periodic InspectionEvent Recorders
        - In some regions, FRA MP&E inspectors have not been monitoring compliance with event recorder testing. 
        - Railroad are required to inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with manufacturer instructions and the following FRA criteria:

A written copy of the instructions in use shall be kept at the point where the work is performed.

The event recorder shall be tested prior to performing any maintenance work on it. At a minimum, the event recorder test shall include cycling all required recording parameters and determining the full range of each parameter by reading out recorded data. A micro-processor based event recorder, equipped to perform self-tests, has passed the pre-maintenance inspection requirement if it has not indicated a failure. 

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Event RecordersContinued

 If this test does not reveal that the device is recording all the specified data and that all recordings are within the designed recording parameters, this fact shall be noted on the data verification result required to be maintained by this section and maintenance and testing shall be performed as necessary until a subsequent test is successful.

When a successful test is accomplished, a copy of those data verification results shall be maintained with the locomotive's maintenance records until the next one is filed. 

 A railroad's event recorder periodic maintenance shall be considered effective if ninety percent (90%) of the recorders inbound in any given month for periodic inspection are still fully functional; maintenance practices and test intervals shall be adjusted as necessary to yield effective periodic maintenance. 

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Annual Tests
        - This inspection and test is required every 368 calendar days.
        - Numerous air related items are to be serviced at this time.
        - If the railroad elects to fragment work required at the annual, a separate air record shall be maintained on the locomotive, and a duplicate record maintained in railroad files.
        - The fragment air record shall include the locomotive number, a list of the air brake components, and the date and place of the last inspection and test of each component.
        - Inspections and tests required at the annual are recorded on the F8180.49A form.
        - The person(s) doing the work and person’s supervisor shall sign the card (and fragment air record is applicable), attesting that the work was done.

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Biennial Tests
        - This inspection and test is required every 736 calendar days however, FRA has granted all railroads a waiver extending the test period from 736 to 1104 calendar days, provided the locomotive is equipped with 26L or equivalent brake equipment.
        - Fragmentation of air work allowed as discussed in the previous slide.
        - Inspections and tests required at the biennial or triennial, are recorded on the F8180.49A form.

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Main Reservoir Tests 

	This isn’t an issue with the introduction of drilled reservoirs. Railroads are no longer required to hammer/hydro tests main reservoirs provided the reservoir are drilled...which they all are these days.

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Out-of-Use Credit
        - Out-of-use credit only counts if the period out of use for the locomotive is at least 30 consecutive calendar days.
        - If the locomotive is out of use for at least 30 consecutive calendar days, the railroad may extend any inspection & test required under §§229.23, 229.25, 229.27, 229.29, or 229.31.
        - For example, if a locomotive is out-of-use for 45 days, and would have otherwise been due an annual inspection on 10/01/03, the new due date would be 11/15/03.
        - A notation showing the number of out-of-use days shall be made on an inspection line on the 49A

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F6180.49A Form
        - One final word on the 49A form.  
        - In the late 1989 FRA allowed railroads to computer generate their own 49A forms, provided it contained all the elements of the original 49A form. 
        - In addition, FRA also said that the information on any computer generated 49A form must by in the same order as the original, and the form must contain original signatures of the person’s doing and attesting that the work was completed.

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Open your CFR to Part 229 Subpart B

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End of Module 3

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