Freight Cars Rules

Freight Car Rules

This is an attempt to document, including original sources, the laws, rules, regulations and "general practices" that effect railroad engines and rolling stock.
Also included will be some "operational" rules that govern usage of equipment, but do not directly change the visual appearance of engines and rolling stock.

NOT included will be laws, rules, regulations and "general practices" that effect the physical plant (right of ways, signalling, buildings, etc.).

Index

Some General Notes

Based on data originally compiled on main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
"Banned from interchange" means normal (universal) AAR Interchange Rules.
Cars not complying may still be used in "home road only" service, or, by specific agreement, in interchange with other railroads
"Outlawed" means prohibited by federal law, or regulation backed by law
My meanings of the table headings below:

Heading My meaning
ioGroupDate The date listed in the original main@RealSTMFC.groups.io document (when "Date passed" complete, this column will likely be removed)
Date Passed The date the law or ruling was enacted (vote passed in governing body, or whatever)
Orig. "Do By" Original date the change must have been "completed by"
Final Date "The final "must be done by" date
(Typically, there were several delays between the "original" "completed by" date, and the "final" date)
Rule Type Law, regulation, ruling, or "GP" (general practice)
Rule Body US Government (USG); Canadian Government (CG); ICC/FRA/STB; MCB/ARA/AAR; railroad specific
Category Hardware ("Grabs" = grabs/ladders/steps; Brakes; Couplers; Trucks; Construction; etc.) Lettering; Organization
Applies to Freight cars, passenger cars, cabooses, MOW/company service cars
Rule Description Brief description, with link to "full text" of the law/rule
Source Current source. Mostly will be replaced by actual law/rule text, but some "general practice" issues may continue this data

Freight, Passenger, and "Company Service" Cars Rules

ioGroup
Date Date
Passed Original
"Do by" Final
date Rule
Type Rule
Body Category Applies To Brief Description Source
1870 GP Trucks Freight Archbar trucks replace wood beam as US standard JH White - Freight
1893 Law USG Brakes, Couplers Freight, Pass Safety Appliance Act passed (brakes and couplers) JH White - Freight
1900 Brakes, Couplers Freight, Pass August; all cars required to be equipped with air brakes & knuckle couplers Thompson, James D.
1909 Lettering Freight MCB drops recommendation for "Air Brake" stencil Thompson, James D.
1909 Lettering Freight MCB standard MCB-26A to locate reporting marks at left end of car side Thompson, Anthony W.
1911 Law USG "Grabs" Freight, Pass Safety Appliance Act amended (ladders, grabs,etc.) Thompson, James D.
1911 Lettering Freight United States Safety Appliances Standard stencil introduced Thompson, James D.
1914 Construction Freight (or 1916?) Steel or steel-framed ends required or recommended on box cars Neubauer, Eric & Thompson, David
1915 "Grabs" Freight (approx.) All cars to be equipped with compliant ladders, grabs, etc. Thompson, James D.
1920 Lettering Freight Oct 20; ARA issues standards for stenciling reporting marks Wilber, Guy
1925 Lettering Freight United States Safety Appliances Standard stencil requirement discontinued Thompson, James D.
1925 Lettering Freight Jan 1; ARA revised dimensional data stencil standards in effect Gilbert, Tim
1925 Lettering Freight May 1; nominal capacity & load limit stencils required Wilber, Guy
1925 Construction Freight Steel Center Sills mandatory on new cars D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1927 Lettering Freight April 7; load limit star stencil recommended, when limit is not bearings Wilber, Guy
1928 Construction Freight wood draft sills banned from interchange Hendrickson, Richard
1931 Construction Freight All-wood cars banned in interchange service D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1933 Couplers Freight August 1; Type E or F couplers required on all newly-built cars
1933 Couplers Freight August 1: rotary uncoupling levers required on all newly-built or newly-rebuilt cars
1933 Brakes Freight September 1; AB brakes required on all newly-built cars Hendrickson, Richard & Wilber, Guy
1933 USG? "Grabs" Freight All freight cars get additional grab iron on left end of sides D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1934 Organization Oct 12; AAR created by merger of ARA with Assn of Ry Execs and Bur of Ry Econ English, Jeff; from Weekly Rail Review
1934 Lettering Freight New or rebuilt reefers may not bear advertisements of any shipper, consignee, or product (AKA "Billboard reefers") D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1935 Organization Freight January 1; revision of ICC accounting rules defining repaired/rebuilt equipment Wilber, Guy
1936 Trucks Freight January 1; Initial proposed ban of arch bar trucks (eventually extended to 1940) Wilber, Guy
1937 Brakes Freight January 1; AB brakes required on all newly-rebuilt cars Wilber, Guy
1937 Brakes Freight January 1; geared handbrakes required on all newly-built or newly-rebuilt cars Wilber, Guy
1937 Organization Freight August 1; revision of AAR Interchange Rules defining repaired/rebuilt equipment Wilber, Guy
1937 Couplers Freight August 1; Type E or F couplers required on all newly-rebuilt cars Westerfield, Al
1937 Lettering Freight Any reefers bearing advertisements of any shipper, consignee, or product banned from interchange (AKA "Billboard reefers") D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1937 Lettering Freight Most billboard markings gone off boxcars and reefers Westerfield, Al
1938 Lettering Freight No billboard boxcars and reefers Westerfield, Al
1939 Trucks Freight December 31, arch bar trucks banned except 6 mo. for returning empties Wilber, Guy
1940 Trucks Freight July 1; arch bar trucks banned from interchange Wilber, Guy
1940 Construction Freight Cars with wooden underframes banned from interchange D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1945 "Grabs" Freight wood running boards outlawed on new cars O'Connor, Tim
1946 Trucks Freight Jan 1; weld-repaired T- or L-section truck sideframes not to applied Wilber, Guy
1948 Construction Freight Plate B maximum height 15-1 adopted 1948 ORER
1949 Trucks Freight Jan 1; first proposed deadline for banning T- and L-section trucks Wilber, Guy
1949 Lettering Freight Reweighing box, stock, reefer after 1st 30 mos, then every 48 Nehrich, John
1950 Trucks Freight Aug 1; I-section trucks added to proposed ban of T- and L-section trucks Wilber, Guy
1952 Construction Freight Cars with truss rods and/or composite underframes banned from interchange D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1953 Brakes Freight July 1; K brakes banned, except tank cars & returning empties Kelly, Bill
1953 Brakes Freight October 1; K brakes banned for tank cars & returning empties, except for tank empties Kelly, Bill
1954 Brakes Freight January 1; K brakes banned for all cars, including returning tank empties Kelly, Bill
1957 Trucks Freight January 1; final deadline for ban on T-, L- and I-section truck sideframes Wilber, Guy
1957 Trucks Freight trucks w/integrally-cast journal boxes required in interchange Hendrickson, Richard
1958 Trucks Freight January 1; cast iron wheels prohibited on new or newly-rebuilt cars
1959 Trucks Freight January 1; Allied Full-Cushion truck banned due to derailments Wilber, Guy
1963 Construction Freight Plate C maximum height 15-6 adopted
1966 "Grabs" Freight April 1; federal ban on running boards for new cars ordered after Kaminski, Ed
1966 "Grabs" Freight Summer, late; low mount hand brake std on most cars blt from this time Eager, Jim
1966 "Grabs" Freight Oct 1; federal ban on running boards for new cars delivered Kaminski, Ed
1967 "Grabs" Freight Jan 1; high mount hand brakes prohibited on new cars Eager, Jim
1968 Lettering Freight ACI labels introduced O'Connor, Tim
1970 Lettering Freight January 1; initial proposed date to require ACI labels in interchange Ruffing, James
1970 Trucks Freight cast iron wheels banned from interchange (before Jan 2 1970) Neubauer, Eric
1970 Construction Freight No underframes over 50 years (blt before Jan 2 1970?) Neubauer, Eric
1972 Lettering Freight Final date for ACI labels required in interchange Ruffing, James
1972 Trucks Freight Roller bearings required for all cars w/6-1/2x11 journals Eager, Jim
1972 Lettering Freight AAR recommends single-panel COTS stencil, for new & rblt cars Eager, Jim
1974 "Grabs" Freight Jan 1; running boards to be removed from all cars (extended) Kaminski, Ed
1974 Trucks Freight Cars w/axle load >55,000 lbs must have roller bearings Eager, Jim
1974 Construction Freight No underframes over 40 years if blt before July 1, 1974 Matthews, Jim
1974 Construction Freight No underframes over 50 years if blt beginning July 1, 1974 Matthews, Jim
1974 Construction Freight Plate E maximum height 15-9 adopted 1974 ORER
1974 Construction Freight Plate F maximum height 17-0 adopted 1974 ORER
1974 Lettering Freight Two-panel COTS stencil required by FRA, all cars Eager, Jim
1975 Construction Freight Plate H maximum height 20-2 established (after 1975?) Eager, Jim
1978 Lettering Freight U-1 (white dot/yellow dot) wheel inspection begins Chatfield, D. Scott
1978 Lettering Freight January 1; ACI labels no longer required for interchange Ruffing, James
1981 Lettering Freight white dot/yellow dot wheel inspection ends Chatfield, D. Scott
1982 Lettering Freight third version COTS, Jan 1 1982 Eager, Jim
1983 "Grabs" Freight Dec. 31, running boards outlawed on all boxcars/reefers Chatfield, D. Scott
1989 Lettering Freight CAPY data stencil no longer required Chatfield, D. Scott
1991 Trucks Freight plain-brg trucks banned from interchange Kaminski, Ed
1994 Trucks Freight plain-brg trucks converted to roller-brg banned from interchange Kaminski, Ed
1996 Construction Freight AEI "FET" tags required on interchange cars O'Connor, Tim
1974? 2013 Law? CG Lettering Freight Reflective markers required on car sides (in Canada)
2005 2015 Law? USG? Lettering Freight Reflective markers required on car sides (“Conspicuity Markings”) (in USA)
2016 Lettering Freight COTS discontinued

B&M Specific
Date Rule
Body Category Applies To Brief Description Source
1940 B&M RR Lettering Freight Reporting marks changed from "B&M" to "BM" D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1946 B&M RR Lettering Freight [Fall] First use of Minuteman herald on freight cars [replacing rect.] D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1948 B&M RR Trucks Freight [June] Last B&M car with Fox trucks retired D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1956 B&M RR Lettering Freight Last use of Minuteman herald on freight cars [except single sheath rebuilds?] D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)

Engine Rules

ioGroup
Date Date
Passed Original
"Do by" Final
date Rule
Type Rule
Body Brief Description Source
1917 Electric Loco Headlights mandatory D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1978 Footboards removed from locomotives D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)

Operational Rules

ioGroup
Date Date
Passed Original
"Do by" Final
date Rule
Type Rule
Body Brief Description Source
1956 Daytime headlight use mandatory D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)
1986 Cabooses no longer required on mainline freight trains D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133)

Notes/discussion/TODO about this web page

Sources for items that don't have specific law/regulatory text

"Short form" Full citation
JH White - Freight White, John H Jr. The American Railroad Freight Car. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1993 (ISBN 0-8018-4404-5)
JH White - Passenger P1 White, John H Jr. The American Railroad Passenger Car - Part 1. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1978 (ISBN 0-8018-2722-1)
JH White - Passenger P2 White, John H Jr. The American Railroad Passenger Car - Part 2. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1978 (ISBN 0-8018-2747-7)
D Smith (B&MRRHS MN#133) "Smith, Dwight. "Rules of Interchange Affecting RR Freight Cars, and Signature Dates in B&M Lettering Styles." B&MRRHS Modelers Notes #133. Jul-Aug 2011"

Thanks to contributors

Thanks to all who have contributed data, photos, etc. (in no particular order):

Everyone who contrbuted at main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Guy Wilber

Revision History

File History for THIS page
Date	Who	Description
13-Feb-2021	KG Akerboom	Beta version