Part III: Equipment Requirements
21. Maintenance
21.1 All brake equipment shall be maintained in a safe and serviceable condition.
- Freight car brakes shall be maintained in accordance with the current AAR requirements and railway company procedures/work instructions;
- Passenger car brakes shall be maintained in accordance with the current American Public Transit Authority (APTA) requirements and railway company procedures/work instructions. At the end of the Clean Oil Test & Stencil (COT&S) periodic maintenance interval passenger car brake valves shall be maintained:
- To APTA requirements or;
- A single car air brake test shall be performed every 365 days or less and defective components are to be replaced as required.
- Locomotive brakes shall be maintained as a minimum in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations and railway company procedures/work instructions. In the application of this rule, all systems for the discharge or removal of moisture, such as automatic drain valves and air dryers, shall be maintained to function as intended. Locomotive brake systems shall receive COT&S maintenance as follows:
- At intervals that do not exceed 1,104 days for locomotives equipped with a 26-L or equivalent brake system; or
- At intervals that do not exceed 1,472 days for locomotives equipped with an air dryer and a 26-L or equivalent brake system and for locomotives not equipped with an air compressor and that are semi-permanently coupled and dedicated to locomotives with an air dryer; or
- At intervals that do not exceed 1,840 days for locomotives equipped with an electronic air brake system; except for:
- Locomotives equipped with NYAB CCB-1 air brake systems. This system shall not exceed 2,392 days for COT&S, unless fragmented. For locomotives with fragmented air brake maintenance, the 20 Block shall receive COT&S maintenance that does not exceed 2,392 days. All other components shall receive COT&S maintenance at an interval not exceeding 3,128 days.
- Locomotives equipped with NYAB CCB-2 or CCB-26 air brake systems. This system shall not exceed 2,576 days for COT&S unless equipped with a Brake Pipe Control Portion (BPCP) manufactured or remanufactured after March 1, 2013, or air brake maintenance is fragmented.
If equipped with a Brake Pipe Control Portion (BPCP) manufactured or remanufactured after March 1, 2013 and air brake maintenance is not fragmented, then COT&S maintenance shall be performed at an interval not exceeding 3,312 days.
If the BPCP is manufactured or remanufactured prior to March 1, 2013 and air brake maintenance is fragmented, the BPCP shall receive maintenance at an interval that does not exceed 2,576 days; the 16 Control Portion (16CP) shall receive maintenance at an interval that does not exceed 3,312 days, and all other COT&S components shall receive maintenance not exceeding 3,680 days.
If the BPCP is manufactured or remanufactured after March 1, 2013 and air brake maintenance is fragmented, the 16 Control Portion (16CP) shall receive maintenance at an interval that does not exceed 3,312 days; and each COT&S component shall receive maintenance not exceeding 3,680 days.
- Locomotives equipped with Wabtec EPIC-3102D2 or EPIC-2 air brake systems. This system shall not exceed 2,944 days for COT&S.
- Locomotives equipped with Wabtec FastBrake air brake systems. This system shall not exceed 3,680 days for COT&S.
- At intervals that do not exceed 736 days for locomotives equipped with a brake system not specifically identified in paragraphs i, ii and iii.
21.2 On locomotives or self-propelled equipment, the date of testing or cleaning of brake equipment and the name of the shop or station at which the work was done shall be retained in the cab in a format in accordance with railway company procedures/work instructions.
21.3 Train brake test devices shall be cleaned, repaired and tested every ninety (90) days, to maintain safe and satisfactory operation, in accordance with company procedures/work instructions.
21.4 A locomotive that is out service for 30 or more consecutive days may use the time to extend the Clean Oil Test & Stencil maintenance date. An out of service record shall be retained as per company procedures/work instructions. A locomotive can have one or more periods of 30 or more consecutive out of service days. Each period must be recorded as above. Once COT&S air-brake changeout is completed, all credit days revert to zero days.
22. Brake Cylinder Piston Travel
22.1 A car with a body-mounted brake cylinder has piston travel out of adjustment when:
- on a freight car, the piston travel is less than six (6) inches (one hundred fifty (150) mm) or more than nine (9) inches (two hundred thirty (230) mm);
- on a passenger car, the piston travel is less than seven (7) inches (one hundred eighty (180) mm) or more than nine (9) inches (two hundred thirty (230) mm).
22.2 A car with truck-mounted brake cylinders shall have piston travel, unless otherwise governed by design, sufficient to provide brake shoe clearance when the brake is released.
- on a freight car, piston travel shall not exceed five (5) inches (one hundred twenty-five (125) mm);
- on a passenger car, piston travel shall not exceed six (6) inches (one hundred fifty (150) mm).
22.3 A freight car with a special type of brake equipment, not covered by the above, shall have piston travel adjusted as indicated on the badge plate or stenciling applied in a conspicuous location near the brake cylinder.
22.4 A passenger car with a special type of brake equipment, not covered by the above, shall have the brakes maintained in accordance with company procedures/work instructions.
22.5 On a locomotive, the maximum physical limit of brake cylinder piston travel will be indicated in the cab. In operation, piston travel must not come within two (2) inches (fifty (50) mm) of the limit. For example, should the brake cylinder permit an eight (8) inch (two hundred (200) mm) travel, the maximum piston travel shall not exceed six (6) inches (one hundred fifty (150) mm).
23. Locomotive Feed Valves and Pressure Settings
23.1 Air pressure feed valves shall be adjusted to the following pressures in accordance with company procedures/work instructions:
- the minimum brake pipe pressure with the automatic brake valve in release position shall be ninety (90) psi (six hundred twenty (620) kpa) for passenger service and eighty (80) psi (five hundred fifty (550) kpa) for freight and remote control locomotive operation;
- the minimum differential between the brake pipe and main reservoir air pressures with the brake valve handle in release position shall be fifteen (15) psi (one hundred (100) kpa);
- the independent brake cylinder pressure shall be the full application pressure, as posted in cab.