This notification provides a brief summary of each AAR Circular Letter issued during the prior month. TrinityRail monitors these Circular Letters as they relate to or may impact TrinityRail’s fleet, its customers, its shop network and its manufacturing operations. Please click on the hyperlinks below to access the full circular. The circular number is hyperlinked to the TrinityRail QA Portal. Members of the portal will be able to open the Circular Letters and any attachments. Non-members will need to access the Circulars via their AAR Circular Subscriptions.
These Circular Letter – Quick Notes are intended to improve accessibility to the users and are not proof of revision to the AAR, MSRP’s, Office or Field Manuals per AAR MSRP-J M-1003 2.3.5.
C-13937
Subject: Notification of Approval & Pending Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section C Part II, M-1001, OM Rule 88, & Section C Standard S-286. Car & draft pocket design requirements, effective January 1, 2023.
Date Issued: March 3, 2022
Date Effective: January 1, 2023
Group: Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions (effective 01/01/23) to the following publications:Section C-II – M-1001 Design, Fabrication, & Construction of Freight Cars:Chapter 3 – Material, Body Structure. Chapter 4 – Design. Chapter 6 – General Design & Test Requirements – Tank Cars. Section C – Car Construction Fundamentals & Details, Standard S-286 Free/Unrestricted Interchange For 286,000 Lb Gross Rail Load Cars. Office Manual Rule 88.On 11/18/21, Circular Letter C-13907 was issued to solicit comments. No comments were received, & the proposal described is being enacted in its entirety.
C-13938
Subject: Spring 2022 AAR Technical Committee Meetings
Date Issued: March 4, 2022
Date Effective: March 4, 2022
Group: Informational
Summary: Please contact the appropriate committee manager for specific details, including Covid requirements for in-person meetings at particular locations.
C-13939
Subject: Informational Circular, Car Repair Facility Labor Rate
Date Issued: March 14, 2022
Date Effective: April 1, 2022
Group: Car Owner, Repair Shops
Summary: The Car Repair Facility Labor Rate, effective April 1, 2022 is $149.27. The rate is unchanged from the calculation for January 1, 2022. One railroad had a slight update to their
Health & Welfare employee cost sharing amount, but it was not enough to change the overall
calculation. No other changes were made this quarter.
C-13940
Subject: Informational Circular, Car Repair Facility Labor Rate
Date Issued: March 14, 2022
Date Effective: April 1, 2022
Group: Car Owner, Repair Shops
Summary: The Canadian Car Repair Facility Labor Rate, effective 4/1/22 is $228.49 CAD. This represents an increase of $0.20 CAD from the calculation for 1/1/22. The currency conversion factor used to calculate the Health & Welfare portions of the 10/1/21 Canadian Labor Rate was 1.256. The currency conversion factor used to calculate the Health & Welfare portions of the January 1 Canadian Labor Rate was 1.254, & the April 1 Canadian Labor Rate is 1.2617. This caused the increase in the Canadian Labor Rate.
C-13941
Subject: Implementation of Editorial Revisions to MSRP Section C, Car Construction Fundamentals & Details, Standard S-910 Marking of Freight Cars
Date Issued: March 22, 2022
Date Effective: March 22, 2022
Group: Car Owner, Repair Shops
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit comments for revisions proposed to Section S, Specification M-211, Foundry & Product Approval Requirements for the Manufacture of Couplers, Coupler Yokes, Knuckles, Follower Blocks, & Coupler Parts, regarding updates to couplers & knuckles in App. A – Referenced Figures & Tables & updates to App. E & F Design Features for coupler head lug.
C-13942
Subject: Solicitation for Comments – Revision to MSRP Section N, Specification M-950, Universal Wide-Body Tri-Level Fully-Enclosed Auto Rack Car (Low Deck)
Date Issued: March 24, 2022
Date Effective: March 24, 2022
Group: Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary: The Specially Equipped Freight Car Committee has proposed revisions to
Specification M-950, Section 8.0 – Tie-Down System. The revision to Section 8.0 is to add that trilevel auto racks must be equipped with chock pans/hangars to allow universal chock interchangeability within the chock replacement guidelines group.
C-13943
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section S, Casting Detail, M-211, Foundry & Product Approval Requirements for the Manufacture of Couplers, Coupler Yokes, Knuckles, Follower Blocks, & Coupler Parts
Date Issued: March 24, 2022
Date Effective: March 24, 2022
Group: Manufacturer
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions regarding updates to couplers & knuckles in App A – Referenced Figures & Tables & updates to App E & F Design Features for coupler head lug. On 02/22/22, Circular Letter C-13936 was issued to solicit comments. No comments were received. Specification M-211 is now implemented & effective immediately.
C-13944
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section S, Castings Detail M-220, Casting Component NDT Requirements, regarding updates to NDT requirements
Date Issued: March 29, 2022
Date Effective: March 29, 2022
Group: Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions regarding updates to yoke placement & images. On 02/11/22, Circular Letter C-13935 was issued to solicit comments. Comments were received & considered by the Coupling System & Truck Castings Committee & the following changes were made in response: Lighting requirements for knuckle testing in App A was updated to 100 footcandles as intended. References to “pedestal leg” in Figures C.7 & C.8 were changed to refer to the “underside of tension member.” Specification M-220 is now implemented & effective immediately.
C-13945
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section S, Casting Detail, M-211, Foundry & Product Approval Requirements for the Manufacture of Couplers, Coupler Yokes, Knuckles, Follower Blocks, & Coupler Parts
Date Issued: March 29, 2022
Date Effective: March 29, 2022
Group: Manufacturer
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions regarding updates to couplers & knuckles in App A – Referenced Figures & Tables & updates to App E & F Design Features for coupler head lug. On 02/22/22, Circular Letter C-13936 was issued to solicit comments. No comments were received. Specification M-211 is now implemented & effective immediately.
C-13946
Subject: Solicitation of Comments for Revisions to MSRP Section G-II, Wheel & Axle Manual, S-
659, RP-631, RP-632, R-633, and RP-634, Bearing Sampling, NHT Wheels, UT Data Retention, &
Gauging Amtrak Wheels
Date Issued: March 29, 2022
Date Effective: March 29, 2022
Group: Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit comments for proposed revisions.
Revisions include the number of bearings torn down as required for the MD-11 process, adding NHT wheels to the list of wheels not returned to service, adding quarterly reporting of wheels rejected for UT indications after turning, clarification of wheel shop mark stamping & gauging the journal fillet, & adding acceptable flange thickness measurements for Amtrak & other passenger wheels.
C-13947
Subject: Solicitation of Comments for Revisions to MSRP Section H-II Roller Bearing Manual, S-726, Cone Marking Requirement
Date Issued: March 29, 2022
Date Effective: March 29, 2022
Group: Manufacturer
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit comments for proposed revisions regarding who may restore the markings on cones after grinding or machining. The proposed revision to S-726 does not have costs associated with implementation. Comments from interested parties are herewith solicited under the provisions of AAR Standard S-050.
C-13948
Subject: Implementation of Editorial Revisions to MSRP Section T, Interoperable Fuel Tenders
for Locomotives Standard, S-5027 21-Point Control Plug, Cable Assembly & Receptacle (TC-21 Tender Control Cable)
Date Issued: March 31, 2022
Date Effective: March 31, 2022
Group: Manufacturer
Summary: The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of editorial revisions. This implementation version incorporates editorial updates to the support standard that would synchronize S-5027 to the changes already approved & implemented within Section T, Specification M-1004 Specification for Fuel Tenders.