[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63115-63116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29929]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Exemption or 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 requests for exemptions from or waivers of compliance with a 
requirement of its safety standards. The individual petitions are 
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, and the nature of the relief being requested.
    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 RSGM-95-
9) 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.
    The individual petitions seeking an exemption or waiver of 
compliance are as follows:

Tioga Central Railroad (TIOC)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-9)

    The TIOC seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
five locomotives and seven passenger cars. The TIOC has relocated their 
tourist passenger operation from Owego, New York, to Wellsboro, 
Pennsylvania. The train operates on the former Consolidated Rail 
Corporation Corning Secondary line from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, to a 
point south of the Gang Mills Yard in New York. The railroad states the 
route is very rural with a few small hamlets along the way. Vandalism 
has been minimal since relocating.

Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, Incorporated (ATRW)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-10)

    The ATRW seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
two locomotives. Locomotives CRP 56 and 57 were built by EMD in 1948. 
The railroad states that 

[[Page 63116]]
the locomotives are equipped with FRA glazing in the windshields but 
the original safety glass has been retained in other locations for 
historical purposes. The locomotives are used primarily in excursion 
passenger service but will be used in very limited freight service. The 
ATRW operates on the Southern Railroad of New Jersey.

West Jersey Railroad (WJ)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-11)

    The WJ seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
one locomotive. The locomotive, WJ 7803, an ALCO model RS-3 road 
switcher built in 1952, will be operated on 15 miles of track between 
Hartford and Paw Paw, Michigan. The area is very rural and not subject 
to vandalism.

Decatur Junction Railway Company (DT)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-12)

    The DT seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
one locomotive. The locomotive, WJ 7804, an ALCO model RS-3 road 
switcher built in 1952, was formerly used on the West Jersey Railroad 
in Salem, New Jersey. The locomotive will be operated on 15.4 miles of 
track between Cisco and Green's Switch, Decatur, Illinois, and 16.6 
miles between Elwin and Assumption, Illinois. The area is rural farm 
country. The DT has trackage rights on the Illinois Central Railroad 
between Elwin and Green's Switch and operate over this area no more 
than one or two times per week.

Vandalia Railroad Company (VRRC)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-13)

    The VRRC seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
one locomotive. The locomotive, number 56, is an ALCO Model T-6 
switcher. Waiver RSGM 94-21 was recently granted to the West Jersey 
Railroad for operation of this locomotive at Salem, New Jersey. The 
locomotive has now been moved to the affiliated VRRC. The locomotive 
will be operated over approximately 2.54 miles of track at Vandalia, 
Illinois. This is a small rural farming community with very little 
vandalism.

Massachusetts Central Railroad Corporation (MCER)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-14)

    The MCER seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
one locomotive. The locomotive, number 4243, is an ALCO road switcher. 
The MCER operates on approximately 24.8 miles of track between Palmer 
and South Barre, Massachusetts, and 2.6 miles on the Bondsville Branch 
between Forest Lake Junction and Bondsville, Massachusetts. The 
railroad states there have been no incidents of broken glass due to 
vandalism.

Florida Central Railroad (FCEN)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-95-15)

    The FCEN seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with certain 
provisions of the Safety Glazing Standards (Title 49 CFR Part 223) for 
four passenger cars. The cars were recently acquired from the New 
Georgia Railroad. The cars will be operated four to five times per week 
in excursion or dinner train service.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

(Waiver Petition Docket Number H-95-5)

    The SEPTA is seeking a five year test waiver of compliance from 
Section 229.29(a) of the Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards, (Title 
49 CFR Part 229) for 33 electric MU locomotives. SEPTA is requesting 
that it be permitted to extend the clean, oil, test and stencil (COT&S) 
period from 24 months to 60 months on 8 test cars equipped with 26-R 
Brake Equipment and 25 test cars with PS-68 Brake Equipment. The test 
cars represent approximately 10 percent of their fleet of 304 electric 
MU locomotives. SEPTA states that the condition of the brake equipment 
at the two year overhaul indicates the maintenance cycle could be 
increased.
    The test locomotives would be selected from those due COT&S at the 
inception of the test. Each test car will be so identified and its 
computer work report will show the test status. Major valvular 
components will be sealed so that tampering or changes can be detected. 
Monitoring will consist of a weekly check of road failure reports and 
computer work order records as well as any special failure reports, and 
a check at each periodic inspection to ensure that the original test 
components are intact. The test locomotives will be run beyond their 
two year COT&S cycle with one 26-R and two PS-68 locomotives being 
overhauled at three and four year intervals after their last overhaul. 
Each valve will be tested prior to a tear down inspection which will be 
witnessed by SEPTA's project manager, manufacturer's representatives 
and FRA. Failed components will be analyzed to determine if the failure 
could have been prevented by a two year COT&S period. Final analysis of 
the data will be used to determine if the COT&S cycle can be extended.

    Issued in Washington, DC on December 4, 1995.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 95-29929 Filed 12-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P