Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 87 / Friday, May 5, 1995 / Notices 22427

Northern Nevada Railroad Corporation

(NN)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number

RSGM–95–5)

The NN seeks a permanent waiver of

compliance with certain provisions of

the Safety Glazing Standards, Title 49

CFR Part 223 for two locomotives. The

70-ton switcher locomotives were built

by General Electric Company in 1950

and 1952 and were recently acquired

from the Santa Maria Valley Railroad

Company. The NN operates 129 miles of

track between Shafter, its interchange

with Union Pacific Railroad Company

(UP), and Keystone, Nevada. In 1995 the

line will be extended to Reiptown,

Nevada, a distance of approximately 3

miles, to a new concentrator mill site of

Magna Copper. Also in 1995, NN

expects to complete a rail/rail crossing

at Shafter with the UP and reactivate 18

miles of isolated track to the Southern

Pacific Transportation Company

interchange at Cobre, Nevada. This will

give NN a total of 150 track miles. The

area of operation is mostly flat and is

extremely rural in nature with a few

small towns. The railroad states that

there is no record of vandalism.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 25,

1995.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 95–11064 Filed 5–4–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with Title 49 CFR

Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice is

hereby given that the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) has received from

Procor Limited a request for a waiver of

compliance with certain requirements of

Federal 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.

Procor Limited

(Waiver Petition, Docket Number SA–

95–1)

Procor Limited seeks a waiver of

compliance from certain sections of

Title 49 CFR Part 231, Railroad Safety

Appliance Standards. Procor Limited is

requesting a permanent waiver of the

provisions of Title 49 CFR Part 231

which requires that handholds be

securely fastened with * * * bolts with

nuts outside (when possible) and

riveted over, or with not less than 1⁄2-

inch rivets.

Procor Limited built 125 covered

hopper cars in 1991 and 58 more

covered hopper cars in 1995 for a total

of 183 cars that have the side and end

handholds secured with the nuts of the

bolts to the inside. The bolted

connections of the handholds of all 183

cars were applied and the bolts chisel

checked under a controlled condition.

Car series: UNPX 127000 through

127124, 125 cars; UNPX 128000 through

128029, 30 cars; UNPX 128050 through

128077, 28 cars, Procor Limited requests

to continue the use of these subject cars

throughout the United States.

Title 49 CFR 231.27(e)(4) requires that

side handholds be securely fastened

with not less than 1⁄2-inch bolts with

nuts outside (when possible) and

riveted over, or with not less than 1⁄2-

inch rivets. Several other sections in

Part 231 address the application of

safety appliances (sill steps, ladder

treads, etc.) which requires that they be

securely fastened with not less than 1⁄2-

inch bolts with nuts outside (when

possible) and riveted over, or with not

less than 1⁄2-inch rivets.

Procor Limited states the estimated

cost to remove and replace 66 fasteners

on each car is $685.00. Adding out of

service time, the anticipated total cost

impact of this modification is $215,000.

The cost of changing the nuts from the

inside to the outside will not enhance

the safe operation of these cars.

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

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 SA–95–1) and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Office of Chief Counsel,

FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

Communications received within 45

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 (9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.) in Room

8201, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 25,

1995.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 95–11065 Filed 5–4–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

Petition for Waivers of Compliance

In accordance with Title 49 CFR

Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice is

hereby given that the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) has received from

the MK Rail Corporation (MKRC) and

CSX Transportation, Incorporated

(CSXT), a request for waiver of

compliance with certain requirements of

the Federal rail safety 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.

MK Rail Corporation (MKRC)

CSX Transportation, Incorporated

(CSXT)

(FRA Waiver Petition Docket Numbers

PB–95–1—SA–95–2)

The MKRC and CSXT seek a waiver

of compliance from certain regulatory

provisions and from underlying Safety

Appliance Act requirements in

connection with a test of a train known

as the Iron Highway. Petitioners seek a

waiver of Title 49 CFR 231.6, (Railroad

Safety Appliance Standards), Title 49

CFR 232.2, Title 49 CFR 232.13

(Railroad Power Brakes and Drawbars),

and Appendix B, Definition Section 13

(Emergency brake-cylinder pressure)

and related emergency requirements

provisions. Petitioners also seek,

pursuant to 45 U.S.C. 20306, exemption

from the requirements of portions of 45

U.S.C. 20302(a)(1), (a)(2) and (a)(3)

which are the statutory bases for the

subject requirements.

The interim version of the Iron

Highway train will consist of two

conventional type locomotives with

modified cab controls, two adapter

platforms, one split-ramp platform and

40 load-carrying ramp platforms. The

Iron Highway train, which functions as

one freight car, is equipped with

articulated joints and a continuous

deck, permitting highway trailers to

bridge the joints with no length

restrictions as it is virtually slack free.

According to the petitioners, it will

reduce weight and train preparation

time and will eliminate the loss, damage

and delay inherent during current,

conventional switching activity.

Operating costs are projected to be
22428 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 87 / Friday, May 5, 1995 / Notices

further reduced by the use of stub axles

to reduce drag, wheel and track wear,

and dead weight, and by the

improvement of weight distribution.

Maintenance downtime costs will be

reduced and performance enhanced by

the continuous monitoring of the

bearing and brake system. Impending

problems will be detected and resolved

prior to major breakdowns and train

delays.

The Iron Highway train is

approximately 1,400 feet in length. The

load carrying-platforms are joined by

articulated joints which are

approximately 30 inches above the top

of rail and therefore are out of

compliance with standard coupler

height. These joints will be separated

only for maintenance requirements.

Thus, there is no need for conventional

uncoupling levers nor for end-sill

handholds. The trailers will be ‘‘circus’’

loaded and locked in place

automatically from the cab of the hostler

tractor. There is no need for side

handholds and sill steps.

The rear of the special adapter

platform will be joined to the loadcarrying platforms by an articulated

joint. At the front, where the platform is

coupled to the locomotive by a

conventional type coupler, the platform

will include standard safety appliances,

such as end sill handholds and side

handholds which are extended above

the deck and side sill steps.

The split-ramp is located at the center

of the Iron Highway train and will

include side sill steps and side

handholds to provide safe access to the

deck. Additional safety is provided by

the extension of handholds above the

deck: on one end, on both sides, and

near a corner position. End sill

handholds will not be applied as they

would not be accessible because of the

continuous deck.

The locomotives used to operate the

Iron Highway train will be equipped

with a freight/passenger 26–C automatic

brake valve, which will be set in the

passenger position with graduated

release. This feature will greatly

enhance train braking, with the braking

positions being minimum application,

service application, zone, and

emergency. This system incorporates

improvements superior to conventional

freight brake equipment.

There is a KE–2 control valve on

every fourth 30-foot platform and a vent

valve on every other platform. The Iron

Highway train will be equipped with a

two-pipe system, having a control pipe

(brake pipe) and a supply pipe (trainlined main reservoir) to provide an

inexhaustible brake system, eliminating

the use of emergency reservoirs. The

retarding forces are provided by

compressed air, via a main reservoir

pipe controlled by a pipe of 90 psi,

cylinder pistons, brake rigging and with

a brake shoe at each wheel location.

However, this brake system does not

include emergency brake cylinder

pressure as specified in Title 49 CFR

232, Appendix B. Calculations indicate

that stop distances for the Iron Highway

train will be better than that of standard

intermodal trains. Data will be recorded

and provided from the actual stop

distance tests which will be performed

at the Pueblo Test Center.

Initial terminal train air brake tests on

the Iron Highway will be performed in

full compliance with 232.12. An initial

terminal train air brake test will be

performed once during each 24-hour

period, consistent with the completion

of a round trip by each train.

The petitioners request FRA’s

approval of the proposed use of the

computer-controlled inspection system

to perform intermediate type air brake

tests when such tests are required by

232.13. It is proposed that these

intermediate tests be performed from

the locomotive cab utilizing the special

equipment installed in the conventional

locomotives to be used in the Iron

Highway trains.

The locomotives dedicated to this

Iron Highway service will each be

equipped with two special purpose

computers which will display on a

monitor continuous information

regarding the brake status of each

platform (e.g., cylinder position (applied

or released), indication of cylinder

pressure and detection of stuck brakes.

The computers will also monitor and

display wheel bearing temperatures,

indicate when the split-ramp platform is

separated or secured, and will locate the

occurrence and position of faults. This

information will be sufficient to

establish that during the applied test all

brakes are applied, and during the

release test that all brakes are released.

The Iron Highway train air brake system

is designed to provide constant

monitoring of train brake activity. The

engineer will have the benefit of much

more information relative to the

condition and functioning of the air

brakes than has ever been available

prior to this invention.

Additionally, the Iron Highway train

has replaced the conventional

handbrakes function of holding or

retarding the train in the absence of any

brake cylinder pressure, with spring

applied, automatic parking brakes on

the first five and last five platforms. The

design of this brake ensures that it

cannot be left applied inadvertently,

thus avoiding dragging brakes. During

spring-brake operation, the brake shoe

will be forced against the wheel tread

surface at the force of approximately a

50 percent loaded car-full service value.

This general type parking brake has

been in service for several years and has

been proven successful.

This waiver request is for a test

operation of two interim version Iron

Highway trains for a period of up to 3

years on specified rail lines, which lines

may vary from time to time, subject to

prior notice to FRA. The initial test

requested is from Livonia, Michigan and

East Chicago, Illinois. The final version

of the Iron Highway train is expected to

be available in the summer of 1996.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. All communications

concerning these proceedings should

identify the appropriate docket number

(e.g., FRA Docket Number PB–95–1 and

SA–95–2) and must be submitted in

triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of

Chief Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building,

400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington,

D.C. 20590. Communications received

before June 1, 1995 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 (9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.) in Room

8201, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

The FRA has determined that a public

hearing be held in this matter.

Accordingly a public hearing is hereby

set for 10:00 a.m. on May 25, 1995, in

room number 6244, Nassif Building, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20590.

The hearing will be an informal one

and will be conducted in accordance

with Rule 25 of the FRA Rules of

Practice (Title 49 CFR Part 211.25), by

a representative designated by the FRA.

The hearing will be a nonadversary

proceeding in which all interested

parties will be given the opportunity to

express their views regarding this

waiver petition.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on April 25,

1995.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 95–11066 Filed 5–4–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P