Subject: Inspections/Maintenance/Repairs (7/10/1995)
[4/22/86] Mechanical Inspections - As I reported to you in my last bulletin, Amtrak is tightening up on mechanical inspections and requirements. For example, I understand that Amtrak now will request a copy of Form PC-4, Record of Repairs, when any indication of a deficiency is noted.
Mechanical inspection is simply a procedure to determine that necessary and proper repairs to your car have been carried out, and that the car is in safe operating condition. When you expect an inspector to look over your car, you should have already looked at the car yourself, made all needed repairs, and have recorded them on Form PC-4. If the inspector notes deficiencies, he will send his report on to Amtrak in Washington. In Houston, I obtain a copy of this report from the inspector. Apparently, some of you do not. You cannot expect Amtrak to handle your equipment if a deficiency was noted, and it behooves you to get a copy of the report, to make sure that no deficiencies exist, or if they do, then make the repairs and have a new inspection.
Similarly, if you are a new owner, you must be aware that all cars over forty years of age are required to have a detailed inspection pursuant to Form PC-2. Amtrak will not waive this requirement, and there is no sense turning in a trip request until after the form has been filed, as it will be promptly denied.
[8/31/87] Maintenance - To a large extent, the trouble-free operation of any passenger car requires the application of sound maintenance practices, along with a large dose of responsibility. This general area has been the subject of two excellent editorials in Private Varnish in the last few months. Amtrak advises that they now see situations where preventative maintenance is not being anticipated, and as a result, the owners are facing large bills for running repairs which would not have to have been made otherwise. Part of your responsibility is to make certain that when an inspector suggests that certain things will need attention soon, that you indeed do fix them, and promptly. If you do not understand the reasons for the suggestion, then it would certainly behoove you to study, and ask the right questions, until you do understand, and then make the necessary corrections.
[1/26/89] Environment: Asbestos - Amtrak advises that while it is willing to work on private cars at its Beech Grove and Wilmington facilities, it is unable to accept such cars for service or repair until the owner has removed the asbestos under the car. Asbestos was commonly used as an insulation for the steam pipes and for the water pipes by both Budd and Pullman. If Amtrak has to work on a car with asbestos, then it will have to call in special crews to remove the material and to dispose of it, in accordance with government regulations, all at a cost which you could not possibly afford. Alternate kinds of insulation are now readily available, and you should attend to the proper disposal of asbestos, and its replacement.
[12/26/89] Amtrak Repairs for Private Cars - We are advised that the management committee of Amtrak, effective April 17, 1989, has decided that Amtrak will charge the owners of private cars for material, labor, fringes, and overhead, all at Amtrak rates when repairs to our cars are performed, but that there will be no charge for profit.
[7/10/90] Beech Grove Repairs on Private Cars - Les Kasten advises that he has had to expand his services because he has received word from Beech Grove that they will no longer repair private cars, nor will they recondition or repair parts for private cars, as they are swamped with their own work. This means that worn equalizers, out of tram trucks, cracked spring seats, and other similar problems are going to have be handled by your local car shop, and cannot be sent to Beech Grove.
[10/2/90] Mike Ponicki will be at our convention in Galveston. This will be the second convention which he has attended in an official capacity. Mike ordinarily works as the lead car inspector in Chicago, and thus tries to see all of the private cars which go through that city. If you have questions about the level of maintenance on your car, you should not hesitate to talk to Mike and determine what is acceptable to Amtrak. Obviously, there is a difference between a defect which is condemned on sight, a defect which ought to be fixed at the next convenient shopping, and an incipient defect which can be put off for a year or so. It is not his desire to condemn cars out of hand. It is, however, his desire to see that the necessary maintenance is done, and that you have an opportunity to do it. Consequently, if you believe that you have a problem, you should show it to Mike, and obtain his assessment of the seriousness, and the time span in which repairs should be made, if necessary. I remind you of Ed Laird's principle, which is followed by Elton Miller, and that is: if there is a defect, which is not condemned out of hand, it should be repaired at the next convenient shopping. You cannot expect the inspectors to waive problems indefinitely. If you know of, or are advised to have a defect repaired before the next trip, do not start out on the next trip without having the defect repaired.
On the other hand, if the problem is relatively minor, you will be so advised, but you will also be advised to have it remedied. For example, a brake shoe which is overriding a wheel may not have caused a condemned defect in the wheel or the shoe at the time of the inspection. Nonetheless, if you are advised to get it repaired, you should make every effort to do so before the next trip, because the defect may by then have grown to the point where it is condemned, and furthermore, your reputation is now on the line.
[5/31/91] SMP for Private Cars 28603 - Elton Miller has now completed his rewrite of this SMP, which governs the inspection and qualification of private cars. The mechanical committee, consisting of Ed Joscelyn, Harold Schroeder, and the undersigned have reviewed the first draft, and have provided our input to Elton Miller. The new SMP contains many corrections and many clarifications, and very little in the way of additional burdens to the private car owner. One new burden is that the inspection charge by Amtrak for HEP acceptance has been changed from one hour to two hours. In addition, cars operating on trains with Superliner equipment must have two 33" 480 volt extension cables supplied by the owner. This is because the length of the cables which reach between heritage cars are not long enough to reach to the differently placed receptacles on Superliners. The truck laterals have been set out with more particularity, especially in terms of tolerances. The biggest plus is that the requirement for changing out, or scrapping wheels during the 40 year inspection has been changed from 1-5/16" to 1-1/16". The Clearance Engineer has not yet seen our comments, hence we do not expect this SMP to be issued for another two or three weeks.
[5/31/91] Mechanical Inspections and Work - In the past, we have had some difficulty in convincing some facility managers that they should inspect or undertake work on private cars. The reason was that while Amtrak would bill the private car owner, and the owner would pay Amtrak, the facility never received credit for the work done on its budget. That is, the facility would do the work, but the money never came back to, nor was it credited to, the facility. We understand that this has now been changed, and the result will be for the better, insofar as private car owners are concerned.
[12/27/91] Revised Standard for Handling Privately Owned Cars and Amtrak Trains. SMP 28603- This newly revised SMP was reissued by Elton Miller on June 1, 1991, and a copy was sent to those owners having a current 800,000 number at that time. If you did not received a copy, kindly contact Elton Miller, Superintendent of Corporate Projects for Amtrak, 400 N. Capitol Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001 and arrange with him to send you a copy of this lengthy document at a nominal cost. You might also see my comments on this SMP in my May 31,1991 report. The mailing by Elton Miller also contains a new clearance diagram PC-5, which replaces the earlier clearance diagram, and which should be filed well before your next move.
[2/6/95] AMTRAK CAR INSPECTOR CARDS - Everett Fullerton of the CHAPEL HILL discovered that Amtrak had issued laminated pocket cards (dated January 1, 1995) to all its car inspectors. These cards set out the minimum standards for running in Amtrak trains, and also somewhat higher standards at initial terminals. I am attempting to get a card for each active member, and if I cannot, then I will reproduce them next month.
The change which strikes the hardest is that the wheel tread must be 1-1/8" minimum at the initial terminal. This is 1/8" greater than our governing SMP 28603, which makes the AAR standard applicable. The upshot would be to condemn wheels which, according to the SMP and AAR standard, have more than 20,000 miles remaining. Our average member probably runs less than 4000 miles/year.
Since the Amtrak standards tend to become the de facto FRA standards, I have asked John Hutchison to get us an exception. This Amtrak rule (for Amtrak cars) is a real waste to us. The AAR standard for passenger car wheels is 1", and thus we will have to continually explain that 1-1/8" is only the rule for Amtrak's own equipment, and 1" applies on freight trains and non-Amtrak cars. I have suggested a letter for inspectors to be carried in the electric locker. Mr. Hutchison is conferring with the FRA, and will advise.
[7/10/95] AMTRAK CAR INSPECTOR CARDS - Last time, I told you I would try to get enough for everybody. I was unable to secure enough of these cards to go around, so they are reproduced as attachments. Make all the copies that you want - they are useful reminders of what you should be doing to prevent problems.
Paul L. DeVerter II
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