The National Transportation Safety Board on Feb. 3 approved the following:
The National Transportation Safety Board therefore makes the following safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration:
- Require in 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 213, Track Safety Standards, that rail cracks originating from bond wire attachments be identified as rail defects and that information be collected on the methods and locations of those attachments. (R-05-01)
- Require in 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 225, Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports, that derailments caused by rail cracks originating from bond wire attachments be reported with a specific cause code and that information on the methods and locations of those attachments be provided in the accident narrative. (R-05-02)
The National Transportation Safety Board therefore makes the following safety recommendation to ERICO Products, Inc.:
- Revise the instructions for your Cadweld welding systems to address the proper placement of exothermic bond wire welds, especially in the vicinity of joint bars, and to make users aware that these welds create untempered martensite that could, under certain conditions, lead to fatigue cracking and rail failure. (R-05-03)
The National Transportation Safety Board therefore makes the following safety recommendation to the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association:
- Modify your Railroad Engineering Manual and/or your Communications and Signals Manual to address the proper placement of exothermic bond wire welds and high-temperature pin-brazings and to include information that these welds and brazings create untempered martensite that could, under certain conditions, lead to fatigue cracking and rail failure. (R-05-04)
