§238.311. Single car test. — Inbound Citations

(2) Except for paragraphs (b) and (c) of § 238.309, a railroad may specifically request earlier application of the maintenance and testing provisions contained in §§ 238.309 and 238.311 simultaneously. In order to request earlier application of these two sections, the railroad shall indicate its readiness and ability to comply with all of the provisions contained in both of those sections.

(a) The following procedures govern consideration and action upon requests for special approval of alternative standards under § 238.103, § 238.223, § 238.229, § 238.309, § 238.311, § 238.405, or § 238.427; for approval of alternative compliance under § 238.201, § 238.229, or § 238.230; and for special approval of pre-revenue service acceptance testing plans as required by § 238.111. (Requests for approval of programs for the inspection, testing, and maintenance of Tier II passenger equipment are governed by § 238.505.)

(h) Cars requiring a single car test in accordance with § 238.311 that are being moved in service to a location where the single car test can be performed shall have the single car test completed prior to, or as a part of, the exterior calendar day mechanical inspection.

(ii) High speed ground transportation systems that connect metropolitan areas, without regard to whether those systems use new technologies not associated with traditional railroads; but does not include rapid transit operations in an urban area that are not connected to the general railroad system of transportation.

Refresher training means periodic retraining required by a railroad for employees or contractors to remain qualified to perform specific equipment inspection, testing, or maintenance functions.

Repair point means a location designated by a railroad where repairs of the type necessary occur on a regular basis. A repair point has, or should have, the facilities, tools, and personnel qualified to make the necessary repairs. A repair point need not be staffed continuously.

Rescue access window means a side-facing exterior window intended for use by emergency responders to gain access to passengers in an emergency situation.

Respond as intended means to produce the result that a device or system is designed to produce.

Retroreflective material means a material that is capable of reflecting light rays back to the light source and that conforms to the specifications for Type I Sheeting as specified in ASTM International Standard D 4956-07, “Standard Specification for Retroreflective Sheeting for Traffic Control.” The Director of the Federal Register approves the incorporation by reference of this standard in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. You may obtain a copy of the incorporated standard from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. You may inspect a copy of the incorporated standard at the Federal Railroad Administration, Docket Clerk, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

Rollover strength means the strength provided to protect the structural integrity of a rail vehicle in the event the vehicle leaves the track and impacts the ground on its side or roof.

Roof rail means the longitudinal structural member at the intersection of the side wall and the roof sheathing.

Running brake test means a test (as further specified in § 238.319) performed by a qualified person of a train system or component while the train is in motion to verify that the system or component functions as intended.

Running gear defect means any condition not in compliance with this part which involves a truck component, a draft system component, a wheel, or a wheel component.

Safety appliance means an appliance required under 49 U.S.C. chapter 203, excluding power brakes. The term includes automatic couplers, hand brakes, sill steps, handholds, handrails, or ladder treads made of steel or a material of equal or greater mechanical strength used by the traveling public or railroad employees that provide a means for safely coupling, uncoupling, or ascending or descending passenger equipment.

Safety-critical means a component, system, or task that, if not available, defective, not functioning, not functioning correctly, not performed, or not performed correctly, increases the risk of damage to passenger equipment or injury to a passenger, crewmember, or other person.

Seating area means an area of a passenger car that normally contains passenger seating.

Semi-permanently coupled means coupled by means of a drawbar or other coupling mechanism that requires tools to perform the uncoupling operation. Coupling and uncoupling of each semi-permanently coupled unit in a train can be performed safely only while at a maintenance or shop location where personnel can safely get under a unit or between units.

Semi-monocoque means a type of rail vehicle construction where the shell or skin acts as a single unit with the supporting frame to resist and transmit the loads acting on the rail vehicle.

Shear strength means the ability of a structural member to resist forces or components of forces acting perpendicular to compression or tension forces, or both, in the member.

Shock absorbent material means material designed to prevent or mitigate injuries due to impact by yielding and absorbing much of the energy of impact.

Side posts means main vertical structural elements in the sides of a rail vehicle.

Side sill means that portion of the underframe or side at the bottom of the rail vehicle side wall.

Single car test means a comprehensive test (as further specified in § 238.311) of the functioning of all critical brake system components installed on an individual passenger car or unpowered vehicle, other than a self-propelled passenger car, used or allowed to be used in a passenger train.

Single car test device means a device capable of controlling the application and release of the brakes on an individual passenger car or an unpowered vehicle, other than a self-propelled passenger car, through pneumatic or electrical means.

Skin means the outer covering of a fuel tank and a rail vehicle. The skin may be covered with another coating of material such as fiberglass.

Spall, glazing means small pieces of glazing that fly off the back surface of the glazing when an object strikes the front surface.

Switching service means the classification of freight cars according to commodity or destination; assembling of cars for train movements; changing the position of cars for purposes of loading, unloading, or weighing; placing of locomotives and cars for repair or storage; or moving of rail equipment in connection with work service that does not constitute a train movement.

Telescope means override an adjoining rail vehicle or unit and penetrate into the interior of that adjoining vehicle or unit because of compressive forces.

Terminal means a starting point or ending point of a single scheduled trip for a train, where passengers may get on or off a train. Normally, this location is a point where the train would reverse direction or change destinations.

Tier I means operating at speeds not exceeding 125 mph.

Tier II means operating at speeds exceeding 125 mph but not exceeding 160 mph.

Tier III means operating in a shared right-of-way at speeds not exceeding 125 mph and in an exclusive right-of-way without grade crossings at speeds exceeding 125 mph but not exceeding 220 mph.

Tourist, scenic, historic, or excursion operations means railroad operations that carry passengers, often using antiquated equipment, with the conveyance of the passengers to a particular destination not being the principal purpose. Train movements of new passenger equipment for demonstration purposes are not tourist, scenic, historic, or excursion operations.

Trailer car means a rail vehicle that neither propels a Tier II passenger train nor is the leading unit in a Tier II passenger train. A trailer car is normally without a control stand and is normally occupied by passengers.

Train means a locomotive unit or locomotive units coupled, with or without cars. For the purposes of the provisions of this part related to power brakes, the term “train” does not include such equipment when being used in switching service.

Train brake communication line means the communication link between the locomotive and passenger equipment in a train by which the brake commands are transmitted. This may be a pneumatic pipe, electrical line, or radio signal.

Train, commuter means a passenger train providing commuter service within an urban, suburban, or metropolitan area. The term includes a passenger train provided by an instrumentality of a State or a political subdivision of a State.

Trainline door circuit means a circuit used to convey door signals over the length of a train.

Train, long-distance intercity passenger means a passenger train that provides service between large cities more than 125 miles apart and is not operated exclusively in the National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Northeast Corridor.

Train, passenger means a train that transports or is available to transport members of the general public. If a train is composed of a mixture of passenger and freight equipment, that train is a passenger train for purposes of this part.

Train, short-distance intercity passenger means a passenger train that provides service exclusively on the National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Northeast Corridor or between cities that are not more than 125 miles apart.

Train, Tier II passenger means a short-distance or long-distance intercity passenger train providing service at speeds exceeding 125 mph but not exceeding 160 mph.

Trainset, passenger means a passenger train.

Trainset, Tier I alternative passenger means a trainset consisting of Tier I passenger equipment demonstrating alternative crashworthiness and occupant protection performance under the requirements of appendix G to this part.

Trainset, Tier III means an intercity passenger train that provides service in a shared right-of-way at speeds not exceeding 125 mph and in an exclusive right-of-way without grade crossings at speeds exceeding 125 mph but not exceeding 220 mph.

Trainset unit means a trainset segment located between connecting arrangements (articulations).

Transverse means in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of travel.

Ultimate strength means the load at which a structural member fractures or ceases to resist any load.

Uncoupling mechanism means the arrangement for operating the coupler by any means.

Underframe means the lower horizontal support structure of a rail vehicle.

Unit means passenger equipment of any type, except a freight locomotive when used to haul a passenger train due to failure of a passenger locomotive.

Unoccupied volume means the volume of a rail vehicle or passenger train which does not contain seating and is not normally occupied by passengers or crewmembers.

Vehicle, rail means passenger equipment of any type and includes a car, trailer car, locomotive, power car, tender, or similar vehicle. This term does not include a freight locomotive when used to haul a passenger train due to failure of a passenger locomotive.

Vestibule means an area of a passenger car that normally does not contain seating, is located adjacent to a side exit door, and is used in passing from a seating area to a side exit door.

Vestibule door means a door separating a seating area from a vestibule. End-frame doors and doors separating sleeping compartments or similar private compartments from a passageway are not vestibule doors.

Witness plate means a thin foil placed behind a piece of glazing undergoing an impact test. Any material spalled or broken from the back side of the glazing will dent or mark the witness plate.

Yard means a system of tracks within defined limits provided for the making up of trains, storing of cars, or other purposes.

Yard air test means a train brake system test conducted using a source of compressed air other than a locomotive.

Yield strength means the ability of a structural member to resist a change in length caused by a heavy load. Exceeding the yield strength may cause permanent deformation of the member.

(iii) When a car equipped for use in passenger train service not due for periodical air brake repairs, as indicated by stenciled or recorded cleaning dates, is on shop or repair tracks, brake equipment must be tested by use of single car testing device as prescribed by the applicable standards referenced in § 232.305 or by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) standard referenced in § 238.311(a) of this chapter. Piston travel of brake cylinders must be adjusted if required, to the standard travel for that type of brake cylinder. After piston travel has been adjusted and with brakes released, sufficient brake shoe clearance must be provided.