California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 4 - General Mobile Equipment and Auxiliaries › Article 29 - Industrial Railroads › Section 3737 - Side Clearance for Standard Gage Industrial Railroad Tracks

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Minimum side clearances from center line
						of tangent standard gage industrial railroad tracks, which are used for
						transporting freight cars, except as hereinafter prescribed, shall be as shown
						below:
Description
Minimum
								  side clearance
(b) All structures and obstructions above the
								  top of the rail except those hereinafter specifically
								  mentioned..........................
..........................8'
								  6"
NOTE: Posts, pipes, warning signs and similar
						  obstructions should, where practicable, have a side clearance of 10
						  feet.
(c) Platforms eight inches or less above top of
								  rail..........................
..........................4' 8"
(d) Platforms four feet or less above top of
								  rail..........................
..........................7' 6"
(e) Platforms four feet six inches or less above
								  top of rail when used principally for loading or unloading refrigerator
								  cars..........................
..........................8' 0"
(f) Platforms previously constructed at
						clearance not less than seven feet three inches may be extended at such
						clearance unless such extension is in connection with the reconstruction of the
						original platform.
NOTE: Combinations of platforms under (d) and (e) will
						  not be permitted. Combinations of platforms under (c) with either of those
						  under (d) or (e) is permitted provided that the platform under (c) presents a
						  level surface from a point not more than four feet eight inches from center
						  line of track to the face or wall of the platform with which it is
						  combined.
(g) Poles
						supporting trolley contact conductors supplying motive power to track affected,
						if of bracket construction, on either single or double main track .......... 8'
						3"
NOTE: In order to bring switch stand targets into clear
						  vision where pole lines are or have been constructed at legal clearance on
						  railroads operated by overhead trolley contact the clearance as applied to
						  switch stands may be reduced to seven feet six inches.
(h) Switch boxes, switch-operating mechanisms
						and accessories necessary for the control and operation of signals and
						interlockers projecting four inches or less above the top of of rail ..........
						13' 0"
(i) Signals and switch
						stands three feet or less above top of rail and located between tracks where
						not practicable to provide clearances otherwise prescribed in this order
						.......... 6' 0"
(j) Through
						bridges supporting track affected, tunnels, water columns and oil columns
						.......... 8' 0"
See Figure 2.
Click
						  here to view image
Posts, poles, signs and similar facilities may have
						  minimum clearance of 8'6", but clearance of 10'-0" is recommended where
						  practicable.
All side clearance dimensions are for tangent track. In
						  general side clearance for curve track to be 1'0" greater than that for tangent
						  track.
When track is used principally for loading or unloading
						  refrigerator cars, platform with height of 4'6" above top of rail may be
						  maintained provided that minimum side clearance to center line of track shall
						  be 8'0".
Platforms 4'0" or less in height with minimum clearance
						  of 7'3" may be extended at existing clearances if such extension is not in
						  connection with reconstruction of original platform.
Icing platforms and supports shall have minimum
						  clearance of 7'8".
(k) The
						clearances for (a) through bridges supporting track affected, (b) water barrel
						platforms and refuge platforms on bridges and trestles not provided with
						walkways, (c) handrails, (d) water barrels, (e) water columns, (f) oil columns,
						(g) block signals, (h) cattle guards, and (i) stock chutes, when all or
						portions thereof are four feet or less above top of rail may be decreased to
						the extent defined by a line extending diagonally upward from a point level
						with top of rail, and five feet distant laterally from center line of track to
						a point four feet above top of rail and eight feet distant laterally from
						center line of track; provided, however, that the minimum clearance for
						handrails and water barrels on bridges with walkways, shall be seven feet nine
						inches, and, provided further, the minimum clearance for fences of cattle
						guards shall be six feet nine inches.
(l) All minimum side clearances prescribed in
						this section are for tangent track. In general, all structures adjacent to
						curved track, shall have a minimum side clearance one foot greater than the
						minimum side clearance otherwise required for tangent track. Where the division
						has determined that space is limited, the minimum side clearances for
						structures adjacent to tracks of not over 12 degree curvature may be the same
						as for tangent track, but where track curvature exceeds 12 degrees, one-half
						inch for each degree of the curve shall be added to the minimum side clearance
						required for tangent track.
(m) The
						center line of any track constructed in and along a public street shall be at
						least 10 feet from the property line of said street, or if the street has a
						lawfully established curb line, such track shall be at least 10 feet from such
						line.
(n) When tracks are operated
						exclusively for logging purposes, log rollways which serve them may be erected
						at less than the minimum side clearances herein prescribed.
(o) Minimum side clearances authorized in
						this section are applicable to tracks on which freight cars having a width not
						greater than 10 feet 10 inches are transported. Freight cars of a width
						exceeding 10 feet 10 inches but not greater than 11 feet 1 inch may be
						transported provided they shall be permanently marked, stenciled, or placarded,
						and such markings maintained in a legible condition reading:"This Car EXCESS
						WIDTH."
All such required markings and placarding shall be
						  placed on the side adjacent to the ladder or handholds near the floor line of
						  the car at each of the four corners.
(p) If freight cars of a width greater than
						10 feet 10 inches are transported, minimum side clearances shall be increased
						by an amount equal to one-half such additional width, and the distance between
						parallel tracks as provided in 3739(d) of this order shall be increased by the
						amount of such additional width.
1. New
						  NOTE filed 9-11-85; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 85, No.
						  37).
2. Change without regulatory effect providing more legible
						  illustration for Figure 2 filed 2-18-2009 pursuant to section
						  100, title 1, California Code of
						  Regulations (Register 2009, No. 8).
Note: Authority cited: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code. Reference: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code.