[Federal Register: December 3, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 233)]
[Notices]               
[Page 73689-73690]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03de08-50]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Safety Advisory 2008-02

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory; Safety Appliance Securement, 
Potential Failure of Welded Hand Brake Supports on GVSR 200000 Series 
Flatcars.

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[[Page 73690]]

SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2008-02 in order to provide 
guidance to interested parties concerning the inspection and repair of 
GVSR series flatcars that have been modified to add welded vertical 
hand brake supports. FRA's Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance 
Motive Power and Equipment (MP&E) Division has been notified of a 
catastrophic failure of the welded securement of the vertical hand 
brake support on Flatcar GVSR 209000. The failure occurred on May 29, 
2008, and resulted in the fatality of a Union Pacific Railroad (UP) 
train crewmember.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Blankenship, Mechanical Engineer, 
MP&E Division (RRS-14); FRA Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, telephone: (202) 
493-6446.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 29, 2008, at approximately 10:17 a.m. 
(CST), a railroad employee was riding a cut of four cars while 
attempting to set the hand brake on Flatcar GVSR 209000. During this 
task, the hand brake support angles, which had been previously welded, 
suddenly broke; this may have contributed to the employee falling under 
the rolling equipment, resulting in the fatality. Preliminary details 
of this incident indicate that the welded vertical hand brake support 
angles had an ``old break'' condition that allowed the remaining weld 
to fail when force was applied to the hand brake. Field investigation 
of the failed vertical hand brake support indicates that the hand brake 
and/or brackets were improperly applied or not mechanically fastened. 
See Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 231.110B3, 
231.1(a)(4)(iii), and 231.27(a)(4)(iii), requiring hand brake housing 
to be securely fastened to a car.
    Flatcars in the GVSR 200000 series were built in Chicago, IL, by 
Thrall Manufacturing in 1973, with a horizontal hand brake assembly 
that was later modified for vertical hand brake operation. The flatcars 
that may have been modified from horizontal application to vertical 
application are in the following series and are owned by UP:

 GVSR 209000-209002
 GVSR 202000-202034
 GVSR 205000-205004
 GVSR 208000-208002
 GVSR 213000-213004

FRA believes there may be other flatcars that have been similarly 
converted and that they may be subjected to the same type of failure.
    Recommended Action: Recognizing the need to ensure safety, FRA 
recommends that railroads and car owners operating flatcars that have a 
vertical hand brake support that is welded to the carbody carefully 
inspect the cars to determine the adequacy of any welded securement. 
Any car found with a defective condition should be immediately handled 
for repair in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 20303 and repaired in 
accordance with accepted industry practice or by using approved 
fasteners as outlined in 49 CFR Section 231.1(a)(4)(iii). Welding, 
where present, must be done in accordance with industry practice, as 
specified in American Welding Society Standards D1 and D15. FRA further 
recommends that UP inspect all of the above noted series flatcars and 
immediately handle for repair those cars found with defective fastening 
conditions. UP is encouraged to work closely with FRA by furnishing its 
MP&E Division with a complete list of affected cars, any inspection 
findings, a list of repairs made to the cars, and the date repairs were 
completed on the cars.
    FRA may modify this Safety Advisory 2008-02, issue additional 
safety advisories, or take other appropriate action necessary to ensure 
the highest level of safety on the Nation's railroads.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2008.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. E8-28652 Filed 12-2-08; 8:45 am]

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