ConsultingFreight Car
Freight Car Inspection and Repair
• Freight car nomenclature
• AAR Field Manual Familiarization Rules 1 thru 83
• Introduction to FRA Safety Appliances (Part 231)
• FRA Freight Car Safety Standards (Part 215)
• Draft system defects and repairs
• Inspecting draft system and center sills (Hands-on)
• Truck and Wheel defects. Roller Bearing and adapter defects
• Hands-on Gauging/Measuring wheel and truck defects
• Jacking cars for under deck repairs and wheel change-out
Train Yard Safety
Rail Yard Safety
• General safety rules and procedure for personnel working in rail yards.
• Walking in rail yard, mounting and dismounting standing and moving equipment.
• Movement of equipment.
• Hand-signal and radio rules.
• Danger of operating in areas with close clearance.
Blue Signal Rules
• Placement of Blue Signal Protection, including Blue Signals, operation and
securing manual switches, operation and placement of portable and permanent
derail equipment.
• Chocking and protecting cars prior to going on, under, or between them.
Moving rail cars safely
• Brief description of operation of hand and air brake systems of freight cars.
• Emphases on not moving cars until you are sure they can be stopped safely.
Hands-on Demonstration
• Inspection and operation of manual switches and derails.
• Inspecting couplers and cars prior to movement.
• Applying and releasing hand brakes.
• Coupling and uncoupling end air hoses.g.
Air Brake System
Single Car Air Brake Test
• Fundamentals of Freight Train Air Brakes
• Single Car Air Brake Component Identification and Function
• Daily Test, Single Car Test and Special Tests
• Review AAR S-486 Single Car Air Brake Test Procedures
• Hands-on Single Car Air Brake Test and Daily Test
FRA Part 232 Brake System Safety Standards for freight and
other non-passenger trains
• Review Brake System Safety Standards definitions and extent of the regulations.
• Class l Brake Tests – Initial Terminal Inspections
• Measuring Piston Travel
• Review piston travel decals
• Hands-on “Class l Brake Test”
• Performance Evaluation “Class l Brake Test”
