[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 209 (Thursday, October 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58089-58090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29005]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Petition for Waiver of Compliance
In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance from certain
requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the
petitioner's arguments in favor of relief.
Florida East Coast Railway Company (Waiver Petition Docket Number
FRA-1998-4648)
The Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC) seeks a waiver of
compliance from certain provisions of the Railroad Power Brake and
Drawbars regulations, 49 CFR Section 232, in order to administer a test
program involving a test train equipped with an Electronically
Controlled Pneumatic Brake (ECPB) system, manufactured by GE Harris
Railway Electronics, L.L.C. (GE Harris), that operates from a radio
signal. FEC has the support of GE Harris in this pilot test program
that is tentatively scheduled to run from November 1998 through July
1999. This test program would need relief from 49 CFR 232, Appendix B,
Specifications and Requirements for Power Brakes and Appliances For
Operating Power-Brake Systems For Freight Service, as well as, other
areas of Part 232 that reference the control of train brakes by
increasing or reducing brake pipe pressure.
An FEC aggregate unit train will be used for this test program.
Approximately 100 aggregate cars (plus 10 spare rail cars) and a group
of four FEC GP-40-3, 3000 hp locomotives, will be equipped with the GE
Harris EPx Direct Braking system. This train will operate as
a unit train that makes a daily round trip from Miami to Cocoa (City
Point), Florida, and return. In conjunction with FEC crew training, it
is GE Harris' intention to provide field support prior to and during
the test program. This field support will consist of manning the test
rain with capable and knowledgeable personnel.
FEC and GE Harris offers the following information about the GE
Harris EPx Direct Braking system. The system uses
electronically controlled brake valves to operate freight car brakes as
opposed to solely pneumatically controlled brakes. The EPx
Direct Braking system on this test rain will perform identically to
current ECPB trains in operation today. With the EPx Direct
Braking system there is a pneumatically controlled valve which monitors
train brake pipe pressure. Should the brake pipe pressure fall at a
rate of 16 psi per second (or greater), or if brake pipe pressure falls
below 50 psi, the train is automatically placed into an emergency brake
application condition. This valve provides a method to apply emergency
brakes independent of the electronically controlled brake value mode of
operation, thereby incorporating a redundant level of safety on the
train analogous to the current emergency brake systems. Another
capability of the EPx Direct Braking system is a full
emulation of the current ABDX style valve. This means the entire train
can be run using brake pipe pressure to control the train's brakes
(traditional pneumatic control mode), as an alternative to the electric
mode should the need arise. The EPx Direct Braking system
consists of a Car Control Device, On-Car power source (Power Generator,
Voltage Regulator, and Battery), and two antennae mounted to each rail
car. Locomotive equipment consists of a Head End Unit (Operator's
Interface), Communications Module (Radio and two antennae.
Prior to the actual test program train, GE Harris will functionally
verify each pneumatic emulating electronic brake value against required
performance parameters at their lab in Melbourne, Florida. A static
rail car test will be performed in two separate phases. Phase 1 will
validate the ABDX emulating mode of brake value operation. The second
phase will validate the communication channel and network integrity.
Upon completion of all static and brake rack tests, actual ECPB control
will be tested in detail using the communications channel on the
Florida East Coast Railroad. These tests will be conducted on sidings
and/or controlled (closed to other traffic) track. A Test Readiness
Review of all complied data will be conducted, whereby all parties will
be provided with the actual test results of each previous test phase
and how the results meet the performance requirements necessary to
operate a test train safely and confidently. The test train will be
assembled and after a week of successful static testing, a moving test
[[Page 58090]]
will take place, ultimately leading to the operation of a 100 car test
train use in revenue service.
FEC believes the GE Harris EPx Direct Braking system
fully complies with the intent of the Railroad Power Brake and Drawbars
regulations, 49 CFR Part 232, and that safety will not be compromised.
In all phases of the test program, a fully functional emergency portion
of the valve is in place and will react if activated.
Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for
their request.
All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number H-98-1)
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of
Chief Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Mail
Stop 10, Washington, DC 20590. Communications received within 30 days
of the date of this notice will be considered by FRA before final
action is taken. Comments received after that date will be considered
as far as practicable. All written communications concerning these
proceedings are available for examination during regular business hours
(9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) at FRA's temporary docket room located at 1120
Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 7051, Washington, DC 20005.
Issued in Washington, DC on October 23, 1998.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program
Development.
[FR Doc. 98-29005 Filed 10-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-M
