§ 238.309 - Periodic brake equipment maintenance.

§ 238.309 Periodic brake equipment maintenance.

(a) General.

(1) This section contains the minimum intervals at which the brake equipment on various types of passenger equipment shall be periodically cleaned, repaired, and tested. This maintenance procedure requires that all of the equipment's brake system pneumatic components that contain moving parts and are sealed against air leaks be removed from the equipment, disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated and that the parts that can deteriorate with age be replaced.

(2) A railroad may petition FRA's Associate Administrator for Safety to approve alternative maintenance procedures providing equivalent safety, in lieu of the requirements of this section. The petition shall be filed as provided in § 238.21.

(b) DMU and MU locomotives. The brake equipment and brake cylinders of each DMU or MU locomotive shall be cleaned, repaired, and tested, and the filtering devices or dirt collectors located in the main reservoir supply line to the air brake system cleaned, repaired, or replaced at intervals in accordance with the following schedule:

(1) Every 736 days if the DMU or MU locomotive is part of a fleet that is not 100 percent equipped with air dryers;

(2) Every 1,104 days if the DMU or MU locomotive is part of a fleet that is 100 percent equipped with air dryers and is equipped with PS-68, 26-C, 26-L, PS-90, CS-1, RT-2, RT-5A, GRB-1, CS-2, or 26-R brake systems. (This listing of brake system types is intended to subsume all brake systems using 26 type, ABD, or ABDW control valves and PS68, PS-90, 26B-1, 26C, 26CE, 26-B1, 30CDW, or 30ECDW engineer's brake valves.);

(3) Every 1,840 days if the DMU or MU locomotive is part of a fleet that is 100 percent equipped with air dryers and is equipped with KB-HL1, KB-HS1, or KBCT1; and,

(4) Every 736 days for all other DMU or MU locomotives.

(c) Conventional locomotives. The brake equipment of each conventional locomotive shall be cleaned, repaired, and tested in accordance with the schedule provided in § 229.29 of this chapter.

(d) Passenger coaches and other unpowered vehicles. The brake equipment on each passenger coach and each unpowered vehicle used in a passenger train shall be cleaned, repaired, and tested at intervals in accordance with following schedule:

(1) Every 2,208 days for a coach or vehicle equipped with an AB-type brake system.

(2) Every 1,476 days for a coach or vehicle equipped with a 26-C or equivalent brake system; and

(3) Every 1,104 days for a coach or vehicle equipped with other than an AB, ABD, ABDX, 26-C, or equivalent brake system.

(e) Cab cars. The brake equipment of each cab car shall be cleaned, repaired, and tested at intervals in accordance with the following schedule:

(1) Every 1,840 days for locomotives equipped with CCB-1, CCB-2, CCB-26, EPIC 1 (formerly EPIC 3102), EPIC 3102D2, EPIC 2, KB-HS1, or Fastbrake brake systems.

(2) Every 1,476 days for that portion of the cab car brake system using brake valves that are identical to the passenger coach 26-C brake system;

(3) Every 1,104 days for that portion of the cab car brake system using brake valves that are identical to the locomotive 26-L brake system; and

(4) Every 736 days for all other types of cab car brake valves.

(f) Records of periodic maintenance.

(1) The date and place of the cleaning, repairing, and testing required by this section shall be recorded on Form FRA 6180-49A or a similar form developed by the railroad containing the same information, and the person performing the work and that person's supervisor shall sign the form, if possible. Alternatively, the railroad may stencil the vehicle with the date and place of the cleaning, repairing, and testing and maintain an electronic record of the person performing the work and that person's supervisor.

(2) A record of the parts of the air brake system that are cleaned, repaired, and tested shall be kept in the railroad's files, the cab of the locomotive, or a designated location in the passenger car until the next such periodic test is performed.

[64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 41309, July 3, 2000; 77 FR 21357, Apr. 9, 2012]