---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 C.F.R. § 215.115"
title: "49"
number: "215.115"
heading: "Defective roller bearing."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/49/215.115"
---

# §215.115. Defective roller bearing.

- (a) A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if the car has—
  - (1) **A roller bearing that shows signs of having been overheated as evidenced by—**
    - (i) Discoloration; or
    - (ii) Other telltale signs of overheating such as damage to the seal or distortion of any bearing component;
  - (2) **A roller bearing with a—**
    - (i) Loose or missing cap screw; or
    - (ii) Broken, missing, or improperly applied cap screw lock; or
  - (3) A roller bearing with a seal that is loose or damaged, or permits leakage of lubricant in clearly formed droplets.
- (b)
  - (1) A railroad may not continue in service a car that has a roller bearing whose truck was involved in a derailment unless the bearing has been inspected and tested by:
    - (i) Visual examination to determine whether it shows any sign of damage; and
    - (ii) Spinning freely its wheel set or manually rotating the bearing to determine whether the bearing makes any unusual noise.
  - (2) The roller bearing shall be disassembled from the axle and inspected internally if—
    - (i) It shows any external sign of damage;
    - (ii) It makes any unusual noise when its wheel set is spun freely or the bearing is manually rotated;
    - (iii) Its truck was involved in a derailment at a speed of more than 10 miles per hour; or
    - (iv) **Its truck was dragged on the ground for more than 200 feet.**
  - (3) Each defective roller bearing shall be repaired or replaced before the car is placed back in service.

## Notes

### Amendments

[44 FR 77340, Dec. 31, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 26711, Apr. 21, 1980]

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 20102-03, 20107, 20171; 28 U.S.C. 2461; and 49 CFR 1.89.

### Source

Source: 44 FR 77340, Dec. 31, 1979, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[44 FR 77340, Dec. 31, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 26711, Apr. 21, 1980]