31582 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Office of Chief Counsel,

Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif

Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590.

Communications within 30 days of the

date of publication 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.) in FRA’s

Docket Room, Room 7051 at 1120

Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington,

D.C. 20590. The waiver petition is as

follows.

Railroad Museum of New England/

Naugatuck Railroad (NAUG) FRA

Waiver Petition Docket No. RSEQ–98–1

The NAUG seeks a waiver of

compliance with Part 240 of Title 49,

Code of Federal Regulations,

‘‘Qualifications for Locomotive

Engineers’’ (49 CFR Part 240). NAUG’s

petition states that in keeping with the

Museum’s educational mission, NAUG’s

Engineer for an hour program is

designed to give participants the

experience of operating a locomotive

(under controlled conditions) and to

learn how a diesel-electric locomotive

works. Motive power would be drawn

from the Museum’s pool of three road

switcher units, a 1950 Alco RS–3, a

1965 GE U25B and a 1957 EMD GP–9.

The operating zone would be between

MP 12 and MP 16.3 on the Northern end

of the Naugatuck Railroad. This section

of the railroad contains no at grade

crossings, no turnouts and no bridges.

The regular Naugatuck excursion trains

operate between MP 1 and MP 11, thus

allowing a one mile separation between

operating zones. The base of operations

would be located at the East Litchfield

station.

Participants will reserve a session in

advance and must be 21 years or older.

Additionally, the participant must

provide a copy of a recent physical

exam or a doctor’s letter, sign a release

of liability, wear appropriate footwear,

clothing and eye protection and must, in

the judgement of the Museum’s

representatives, be able to operate the

locomotive safely.

Each participant will attend a one

hour classroom session covering

railroad safety and instruction on the

basic theory of diesel electric

locomotives and air brakes. Printed

instructional material will be sent to

each participant in advance. At all

times, each participant will be under the

supervision of Naugatuck Railroad’s

Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers.

The proposed dates for this program

are various weekends and holidays

between July 1 and November 30, 1998

and 1999.

Issued in Washington D.C. on June 2, 1998.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 98–15185 Filed 6–8–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Petition for Waivers of Compliance

In accordance with 49 CFR Sections

211.9 and 211.41, notice is hereby given

that the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) has received a

request for a waiver of compliance with

certain requirements of the Federal

safety laws and regulations. The petition

is described below, including the

regulatory provisions involved, the

nature of the relief being requested and

the petitioner’s arguments in favor of

relief.

Union Pacific Railroad Company

FRA Docket Number H–98–3

The Union Pacific Railroad Company

(UP) seeks a temporary waiver of

compliance with certain provisions of

the Locomotive Safety Standards (49

CFR 229) for approximately 30 trains to

be determined prior to commencement

of the test. UP is seeking relief, for a six

month test period, from the

requirements of Section 229.21 that

requires each locomotive in use to be

inspected once each calendar day, and

Section 229.9(b)(1), which provides that

if a locomotive develops a noncomplying condition enroute, it may

continue to utilize its propelling motors

only until the next calendar day

inspection if the calendar day

inspection is earlier than the nearest

forward repair point.

Under the purposed waiver the UP

would have mechanical department

employees perform locomotive

inspections prior to each trip, with the

next inspection not being due until the

locomotive reaches its final destination.

If a locomotive develops a noncomplying condition enroute and all

provisions of 229.9 are otherwise met

the locomotive may continue to the next

point to where repairs can be made.

Locomotives not receiving an inspection

by mechanical department employees

will continue to require a calendar day

inspection.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written reviews, 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–98–3,) and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Chief Counsel, Federal

Railroad Administration, Nassif

Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Mail

Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590.

Communications received within 45

days from the publication 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 FRA’s

temporary relocation 1120 Vermont

Ave. NW, room 7051, Washington, DC

20005.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on June 3,

1998.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 98–15186 Filed 6–8–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900–0029]

Proposed Information Collection

Activity: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Veterans Benefits

Administration, Department of Veterans

Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Veterans Benefits

Administration (VBA), Department of

Veterans Affairs, is announcing an

opportunity for public comment on the

proposed collection of certain

information by the agency. Under the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of

1995, Federal agencies are required to

publish notice in the Federal Register

concerning each proposed collection of

information, including each proposed

revision of a currently approved

collection, and allow 60 days for public

comment in response to the notice. This