Subject: Brakes COT&S Amtrak Required Dates 11/14/00
The new FRA regulations allow somewhat extended times for COT&S, namely 26C 4 years, and all others on passenger cars 3 years. Thus the D-22 would go to 3 years, as would the UC, ABDW, and DB60. Amtrak has decided that it will not extend the time for UC and D-22, nor reduce the time for ABDW and DB60 from 6 years. Any carrier railroad is free to impose stricter requirements than contained in the FRA rules, but I am not sure if it can lengthen them.
The following is a communication from Harold Weisinger expressing Amtrak's view on this subject:
"If you apply the FRA rule, then all valves other than 26-C go to 3 years. That includes ABDW, db60 (six years) and UC (15 months). That would not be fair to ABDW owners. Greg Gagarin has said we will be sticking with the air date schedules we have been using. ABDW, DB-60 = 6 years 26-C = 4 years D-22 = 2 years UC = 15 months Everyone forgets that Amtrak had an agreement with the FRA to test the feasibility of running 26C for 4 years. It was a test that proved successful. There has never been an arrangement with Amtrak to test D-22 or UC. Greg Gagarin (our brake supr) says there is no test data to support the time extension and does not feel comfortable extending it for those two valves. I am also planning on writing the UC out of the new standards. The cars with them can keep them but Amtrak can not service them anymore, it is also almost impossible to service them at our facilities."
Paul L. DeVerter II
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