Inspection and Maintenance Standards for Steam Locomotives

FRA is issuing new Steam Locomotive Inspection and Maintenance Standards in order to update and enhance its steam locomotive regulatory program. In recognition of the reduced frequency of use of steam locomotives in today's transportation system, the revised standards--which incorporate consensus recommendations of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee's Tourist and Historic Working Group--relax certain inspection requirements and tighten others. Significant changes include: the creation of a ``service-day'' inspection system that directly relates inspection time periods to the actual use of the steam locomotive; the elimination, with certain exceptions, of waivers for steam boilers, steam locomotives and their appurtenances; the inclusion of allowances which encourage the use of new technologies, such as non- destructive testing, for boiler testing and inspections; and the imposition of qualification requirements for individuals making certain repairs to steam locomotives, steam locomotive boilers, and steam locomotive appurtenances. Certain of the 1978 inspection standards remain substantively intact but are being relocated to new sections and given new section numbers. Due to the magnitude of the changes made, these newly issued standards replace the 1978 standards in their entirety.