Roof walks banned

[Anonymous]

Can someone please tell me what year roof walks were banned on railroad equipment in the U.S.

thanks

Chuckhl

[BillyDee53]

In 1964, a federal regulation was enacted, prohibiting operating employees from getting on the roof of cars.  Roof walks were banned on all cars ordered after April 1 1966.  The brakewheels had to be lowered on all new cars ordered after the summer of 1966.  Roof walks were banned on all new cars delivered after October 1 1966.  Lowered brake wheels were required on all new cars delivered after January 1, 1967.  The original requirement was for all roofwalks to be removed by April 1 1974, but that date was extended to December 31, 1983.  The above applied to box and refrigerator cars.  It does not apply to covered hoppers, tanks or any other car that requires a man to get on the roof to load or unload the car.

[sanvtoman]

 I have stated in other posts when i was a kid in the late 60s i watched yard switching where the brakemen would ride the tops of cars and pass signals to guys on the ground. They would even walk while riding at 10 mph or so. It seemed so cool to a 12 year old. 

[Ham Radio]

In downtown Los Angeles, on Metrolink tracks near the crossing Main Street (close to San Antonio Winery) you can look north on the right of way and still see an old brakeman warning screen attached to swivel.  This is a relic from the old Espee days.

It was a safety device designed to brush (and warn) a brakeman working on top of a car roof that his train was approaching a low bridge ahead and he would need to duck to prevent being knocked off the car. 

 

 

[Lyon_Wonder]

Good thing roof walks were banned, otherwise taggers would be spraying boxcar and reefer roofs too.

[ndbprr]

1966 sounds about right for the law but it took another fifteen years or so for them all to be removed.  Ladders were cut down but the roof walks stayed for quite a while.

[Anonymous]

Most telltales are gone now, except on abandoned lines, such as this one on the Assabet Valley Rail Trail in Massachusetts.