I have a couple of RTR boxcars with a missing ladder rung or stirrup. Before repairing it, I was wondering how often do prototype cars get inspected for safety problems, not that broken stirrups or rungs are common on the real thing.
As a broader issue, I'm sure once any problem is noticed, the car is taken out of service ASAP.
Which was the basis of my question, is there a schedule for how often a car gets inspected for safety issues, which might not show up if the car is operating properly?
Or would it be more a matter of chance and that car could run the rails for weeks or months as long as the problem wasn't noticed?
(Yes, I'm trying to get out of repairing my car any time soon and may just run it without those parts for a while)
Thanks in advance.
- Douglas
I have a video from back in the 50's or 60's telling about the features of a hump yard. In the video they had a pit under the track with inspectors looking for problems with the wheels, trucks, and brake gear. When an issue was found they had a lever they could trigger that would spray paint on the outside of the offending part, so it could be examined later by the repair crew.
Other than that I would imagine each RR may have a schedule for routine maintenence and repair.
When a train terminates at a major yard it will generally get an inspection, and any defects will be noted for repair, either in place or set off to a repair track. Depending on the defect, repairs may be deferred until after a loaded car has been unloaded. For a train originating, once it is together there will be another inspection including a brake test, and any problems dealt with. There is also a requirement for another full inspection every 1,000 miles.
Added to that are the automated wayside defect detectors, watching for failing bearings, flat or broken wheels, and dragging equipment.
Items such as broken stirrups or rungs might be noted by switching crews or shipper when they had to use them, if the carman missed the problem on the routine train inspections They would get repaired very quickly, hopefully before a federal inspector came by.
There are some scheduled maintenance items, such as air brake systems and lubrication, but those are at long intervals. The rest are done on a frequent ad- hoc basis and quickly repaired as required.
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title49-vol4/pdf/CFR-2009-title49-vol4-part215.pdf
"§ 215.13 Pre-departure inspection.
(a) At each location where a freight car is placed in a train, the freight car shall be inspected before the train departs. This inspection may be made before or after the car is placed in the train."
"§ 215.15 Periodic inspection.
(a) After June 30, 1980, a railroad may not place or continue in service a freight car that has not received an initial periodic inspection in accordance with 49 CFR 215.25, as in effect on October 6, 1976 (41 FR 44044), unless— "
Did not find 49 CFR 215.25, as in effect on October 6, 1976 (41 FR 44044),
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
When a train arrives at a yard with carmen on duty the cars will recieve an inbound inspection, the carmen will walk the inbound train and bleed the air off the cars. They will inspect the cars for safety and body defects. When there were plain bearings they would open the journal box covers, add oil or cotton waste/pads and check the journals. Any cars that can be reapired in the track will be repaired. Any cars that have to go to the rip track are "bad ordered" so when the track is switched they will be sent to the rip.
When the outbound train is assembled, the cars are inspected again. The carmen will lace the air hoses, give the car a look over and do the initial terminal brake test. Damaged cars or cars that fail the brake test would have to be set out.
Where there aren't carmen the trainmen would do the inspections (when the car is picked up from industry or a yard/siding) and brake tests.
Cars have to have the brakes tested on a periodic basis (several years) but there is no periodic inspection for body or safety appliance defects because those are supposed to be addressed as soon as they become defects.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
The inspectors on my model railroad look the other way if a car is missing a stirrup. They concentrate more on couplers and wheels. And of course they never check to see if the air brake system is working, nor do they check if the MU hoses on the locomotives are connected.