§232.305. Single car air brake tests. — Inbound Citations

(a) Retroreflective sheeting on railroad freight cars subject to this part must be visually inspected for presence and condition whenever a car undergoes a single car air brake test required under 49 CFR 232.305. If at the time of inspection less than 80 percent of the amount of sheeting required under § 224.105 on either side of a car is present, not damaged, and not obscured, the inspecting railroad or contractor shall promptly notify the person responsible for the reporting mark, as indicated in the Universal Machine Language Equipment Register, of the damaged, obscured, or missing sheeting (unless the inspecting railroad or contractor is the person responsible for the reporting mark). The inspecting railroad or contractor shall retain a written or electronic copy of each such notification made for at least two years from the date of the notice and shall make these records available for inspection and copying by the FRA upon request. Any person notified of a defect under this section shall have nine months (270 calendar days) from the date of notification to repair or replace the damaged, obscured, or missing sheeting. Where the inspecting railroad or contractor is the person responsible for the reporting mark, the person shall have nine months (270 calendar days) from the date of the inspection to repair or replace the damaged, obscured, or missing sheeting.

(c) Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii) and (c)(3) of this section, retroreflective sheeting shall be evaluated using a properly calibrated comparator panel, manufactured to the specifications outlined under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, whenever a car undergoes a single car air brake test required by 49 CFR 232.305, or a locomotive receives an annual inspection required by 49 CFR 229.27.

(i) Retroreflective comparator panels shall have the minimum (and maximum, if applicable) retroreflectivity values as outlined in Table 1 to paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section.

(ii) Retroreflective comparator panels shall be yellow or white as outlined in § 224.103(b).

(iii) Retroreflective comparator panels shall be 4 inches wide by 4 inches high, be constructed with glass-beaded material or other material that displays uniform appearance when rotated and viewed with a light source, and have a magnetic backing so that the panel can be attached to rail freight rolling stock.

(iv) Retroreflective comparator panels shall have a waterproof and dust-proof label affixed to the backing. The label shall contain: the phrase “Retroreflective Comparator Panel—Yellow” or “Retroreflective Comparator Panel—White;” and the name of the manufacturer, the part, model, or serial number, the date the panel was manufactured, the target retroreflectivity level to which the panel was manufactured (measured in cd/lx/m 2), and a space provided for the certified recalibration date. Retroreflective comparator panels shall be recalibrated at least every two years and the date of a panel's most recent recalibration must appear in the space provided on the label.

(2) Each retroreflective sheeting on rail freight rolling stock shall be evaluated on its performance. The evaluation procedure shall consist of the following:

(i) Retroreflective sheeting shall be visually evaluated with the use of a light source. The light source must be of sufficient intensity to illuminate and overcome ambient lighting conditions. A brighter light source (LED) is recommended in daylight conditions.

(ii) Properly trained and experienced persons may pass sheeting that they determine to be obviously compliant and fail sheeting they determine to be obviously noncompliant (including obscured) based on their initial visual inspection. Any sheeting that they do not determine to be obviously compliant or noncompliant, shall be evaluated using a retroreflective comparator panel comparison.

(iii) Retroreflective comparator panels shall conform to the requirements outlined in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, and the panel's color shall match the color of the installed sheeting being evaluated.

(iv) The comparator panel shall be placed directly adjacent to, or overlapping, the retroreflective sheeting being evaluated. The retroreflective sheeting shall also be cleaned, as necessary, before the evaluation begins.

(v) Retroreflective sheeting and the comparator panel shall be evaluated from a position perpendicular to the installed sheeting, preferably from a distance of 15 feet from the installed sheeting and the comparator panel. In the event conducting the evaluation from 15 feet away is not practicable, the evaluation may be conducted from the next closest alternative distance that still permits effective evaluation.

(vi) The light source shall be positioned adjacent to the inspector's eye (left or right) and directed at the sheeting and comparator panel, and a comparison of the reflected light intensity of the entire installed sheeting to that of the comparator panel shall be made. The installed sheeting shall pass or fail based on the following criteria:

(A) If the perceived reflected light intensity of the entire installed sheeting appears brighter than that of the comparator panel, the installed sheeting passes the evaluation.

(B) If the perceived reflected light intensity of the entire installed sheeting does not appear brighter than that of the comparator panel, or if it cannot be discerned if one is brighter than the other, the sheeting fails the evaluation and shall be replaced prior to the equipment returning to service.

(C) Installed sheeting that is damaged, obscured, or missing, cannot be evaluated with the comparator panel and shall be replaced prior to the equipment returning to service.

(3) A properly calibrated handheld retroreflectometer may be used in lieu of a comparator panel, subject to the following conditions:

(i) The handheld retroreflectometer shall be an annular device. A single measurement on a strip of sheeting shall suffice with an annular device, provided that the sheeting is not damaged, obscured, or missing.

(ii) The handheld device shall be placed directly against the reflective sheeting, and the measurement shall be made based on the device manufacturer's recommendation.

(iii) The minimum allowable retroreflective value is 150 cd/lx/m 2 for yellow sheeting and 250 cd/lx/m 2 for white sheeting, when measured at the −4° entrance angle and 0.2° observation angle configuration. Sheeting that does not meet these minimum allowable retroreflectivity values shall be replaced prior to the equipment returning to service.

(a) The following procedures govern consideration and action upon requests for special approval of a plan under § 232.15(g); an alternative standard under § 232.305 or § 232.603; an alternative technology under § 232.407(b) or (c); or a single car test procedure under § 232.611; and pre-revenue service acceptance testing plans under subpart F of this part.

(e) If the single car air brake test required by § 232.305 cannot be conducted at the point where repairs can be made to the car, the car may be moved after the repairs are made to the next forward location where the test can be performed. Inability to perform a single car air brake test does not constitute an inability to make the necessary repairs.

(1) If it is necessary to move a car from the location where the repairs are performed in order to perform a single car air brake test required by this part, a tag or card shall be placed on both sides of the equipment, or an automated tracking system approved for use by FRA, shall contain the following information about the equipment:

(i) The reporting mark and car number;

(ii) The name of the inspecting railroad;

(iii) The location where repairs were performed and date;

(iv) Indication whether the car requires a single car air brake test;

(v) The location where the appropriate test is to be performed; and

(2) The tag or card required by paragraph (e)(1) of this section shall remain affixed to the equipment until the necessary test has been performed.

(3) An electronic or written record or copy of each tag or card attached to or removed from a car or locomotive shall be retained for 90 days and, upon request, shall be made available within 15 calendar days for inspection by FRA or State inspectors.

(4) The record or copy of each tag or card removed from a car or locomotive shall contain the date, location, and the signature or identification of the qualified person removing it from the piece of equipment.

(c) Except as provided in § 232.303(e), a single car air brake test conducted in accordance with the procedure submitted and approved in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section shall be performed by a qualified person on a freight car equipped with an ECP brake system whenever any of the events identified in § 232.305 occur, except for those paragraphs identified in paragraph (f) of this section.

(1) When a freight car having brake equipment due for periodic attention is on shop or repair tracks where facilities are available for making air brake repairs, brake equipment must be given attention in accordance with the requirements of Rules 3 and 4 of the 2020 Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules (AAR Field Manual); or an alternative procedure approved by FRA under paragraph (d) of this section. Brake equipment shall then be tested by use of a single car testing device as prescribed by § 232.305.

(f) A freight car equipped with a stand-alone or dual mode ECP brake system is excepted from the single car air brake test procedures contained in § 232.305(a). A freight car equipped with a stand-alone ECP brake system is excepted from the single car test requirements contained in § 232.305(b)(2).

(f) A freight car equipped with a stand-alone or dual mode ECP brake system is excepted from the single car air brake test procedures contained in § 232.305(a). A freight car equipped with a stand-alone ECP brake system is excepted from the single car test requirements contained in § 232.305(b)(2).