93-Day Inspections
Looking to add an extra bit of operation into my freelanced shortline by staging "breakdowns" which would take a unit temporarily (or permanently...?) out of service and, also, requiring periodic maintenance for all locomotives in the fleet. I know the big Class I railroads go by a 93-day inspection rule but I can't seem to find any information about how this works. Specifically, I would like to know if this applies to all railroads - regionals down to industrials - and, if so, do the requirements become less stringent the smaller the operation? If it does not apply, what is a reasonable maintenance schedule I can model for my locos?
My railroad will run dark on its own track about 90% of the time. A few trains will travel along a portion of the NEC which leads me to believe that the train's power would have to meet stricter regulations in order to "share the road" with Amtrak, CSX and the like. I could see how an industrial switcher that never leaves its home track may not fall under that category but I don't know how it would affect a shortie.
Thanks!
-Johnny
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Inspections
Federal Law:
Steam
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfr230_main_02.tpl
Diesel (page 33)
http://www.fra.dot.gov/rcc/downloads/LocomotiveSafetyStandardsFinalRule040912.pdf
It applies to all railroads engaged in interstate commerce.
If it operates on the NEC it probably has to have cab signals compatible with the NEC, but the inspection requirements are identical.
The federal regulations address safety, not reliability. The parts have to work and the air brakes and safety equipment has to be there and work. It doesn't require for how long. If the engine breaks that's not a
Federal thing that's a NS/CSX/AMTK/CR in your face until, "... you get your lousy power swapped out!" thing. If the Things covered by the Federal laws break then you can't use the locomotive until they are fixed. Doesn't matter if you are a shortline or a class 1 carrier.
Dave Husman
Modeling the Wilmington & Northern Branch in 1900-1905
Iron men and wooden cars.
Thanks!
Thanks for the info! I was able to pull a lot from this and have made a nice "maintenance" schedule rotation for my roster so that there will always be balanced power on the rails.
Much appreciated,
-Johnny
-Johnny
Freelancing the Plainville, Pequabuck and New London Railroad
Stage break downs?
Gosh... I never have to stage break downs. they break down for real lol.
FREE LANCE MODELING THE UNION PACIFIC FROM COLORADO TO COUNCIL BLUFFS IOWA
CLIFF MCKENNEY
ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?
Newer Locos waiver
While I don't know what era you model, if you do model these modern times, note that as of June 2012, the FRA has given a waiver to locomotives that have "Self diagnostic capabilities with microprocessor controls" to allow them to go 184 days (6 mo) between "PM or Blue Card" inspections (As we call them).
That definition means any locos that have computers in them (Which include rebuilt SD40-3's, GE's starting with the Dash7's and EMD's starting with the SD50's up to what we have now) are allowed to go six months between inspections...