Railway Locomotive Inspection and Safety Rules

General (Part 1)

1. Short Title

1.1 For ease of reference, these rules may be referred to as the "Locomotive Safety Rules"

2. Scope

2.1 These rules prescribe the minimum safety standards for locomotives operated by railway companies subject to the jurisdiction of Transport Canada pursuant to the Railway Safety Act.

3. Definitions

In these rules:

3.1 a) "bad order" means a locomotive having a defect as defined in Part III of these rules;

b) "bad order information system" means any method, computerized or otherwise, by which a railway company controls and protects the movement of a locomotive with defects;

3.2 "break" means a fracture resulting in complete separation into parts. The term "break" and "broken" are used interchangeably in these rules;

3.3 "candela" means the unit of luminous intensity of a light source;

3.4 "captive service" means when a locomotive(s) is in service exclusively between specified points on one railway company, in a given geographic location for a given period of time; which does not pass through a safety inspection location;

3.5 "certified crashworthy" means the event recorder will protect the elements of data recorded, from unfriendly environmental conditions such as fire, impact shock, static crush, fluid immersion and hydrostatic pressure in accordance with performance criteria and testing sequence as filed with the department;

3.6 "certified locomotive inspector" means a person whom is qualified to perform safety inspection of locomotives pursuant to subsection 6.1

3.7 "certified safety glazing material" means a glazing material that has been certified by the manufacturer as having met the testing requirements that is equivalent to, or exceeds North American standards;

3.8 "certificate" means a document that identifies the employee and the task(s) for which such employee is certified.

3.9 "controlling locomotive" means a locomotive in the position from which the crew is operating the train;

3.10 "cracked" means fractured without complete separation into parts;

3.11 "cruise control" means a device that controls locomotive power output to maintain a targeted speed;

3.12 "dBA" means an abbreviated symbol for a sound level measured on the "A" weighted slow response scale of a sound level meter;

3.13 "Department" means the Department of Transport;

3.14 "designated service" means operation of a locomotive exclusively under conditions where it:

  1. is not used as an independent or controlling unit in the lead position except within a single yard area;
  2. is not occupied by an employee when the locomotive is moving from one yard area to another, and;
  3. has stencilled or posted in the locomotive cab the words, "To be occupied in Designated Service only";

3.15 “dynamic brake” means a train braking system whereby the kinetic energy of a moving train is used to generate electric current at the locomotive traction motors, which is then dissipated through resistor grids or into the catenary or third rail.

3.16 “dynamic brake holding feature” means a feature that holds or maintains dynamic brake if an emergency or penalty brake application occurs for any reason.

3.17 "event recorder" means a device design to resist tampering, that monitors and records operations data;

3.18 "event recorder memory module" (ERMM) means the portion of the event recorder designed to retain the data;

3.19 "event recorder testing" means a verification of the event recorder to ensure that data and retention parameters are respected;

3.20 "fire season" means the period of time from April 1st to October 31st;

3.21 "five flute horn" means the horn is composed of 5 projectors sounded in unison, with the following fundamental frequencies: 261 Hz, 311 Hz, 440 Hz, 470 Hz, and 512 Hz, +/- 20 Hz; The assembled horn should have the minimum 1/3 octave band SPL in the 2000-3 150 Hz range, not less than 12 dB below the maximum 1/3 octave band SPL in the 250-1250 Hz range.

3.22 "high level mode" means a minimum sound level, intended for emergency use, of one hundred and ten (110) dB(A), at any location on an arc of 30 meters (100 feet) radius, and subtended forward of the locomotive by angles 45 degrees to the left and to the right of the centerline of the track in the direction of travel;

3.23 "in service" means all locomotives except those which are:

  1. "bad order" and/or being moved to another location for repair(s) as provided in 5.2 of these rules;
  2. in a repair shop or on a repair track;
  3. on a storage track and are dead and drained;

3.24 "lead locomotive" means the first locomotive proceeding in the direction of movement

3.25 "locomotive consist" means a combination of locomotives operated from a single control;

3.26 "locomotive or engine" means a rail vehicle including cabcars propelled by any energy form, other than steam, intended for the propulsion and/or control of freight, passenger or service equipment. The term locomotive and engine are used interchangeably in these rules;

3.27 “locomotive remanufactured” means a locomotive rebuilt or refurbished from a previously used or refurbished underframe containing fewer than 25% previously used components of its original structure;

3.28 "low level mode" means a sound level, intended for normal train operation, of ninety six (96) dB(A) +6, -0, at any location on an arc of 30 meters (100 feet) radius, and subtended forward of the locomotive by angles 45 degrees to the left and to the right of the centerline of the track in the direction of travel;

3.29 "operative" means a component or system is in a safe condition to perform its intended function;

3.30 "passenger locomotive" means a locomotive used to pull an undefined number of rail car(s) designated for the transportation of passengers;

3.31 "person in charge" means a certified person in accordance with subsection 6.1, appointed by a railway company to ensure the safe conduct of an operation or the work of employees;

3.32 "qualified person" means, in respect to a specified duty, a person who, because of knowledge, training and experience is qualified to perform that duty safely and properly;

3.33 "railway company" means a railway company subject to the Railway Safety Act;

3.34 "railway safety inspector" means a Department of Transport inspector designated pursuant to section 27 of the Railway Safety Act;

3.35 "safety control" means a device(s) which will cause a brake application to be initiated automatically if the locomotive operator becomes incapacitated;

3.36 "safety defect" means any item or component that is defective on a locomotive as prescribed in Part III of these Rules;

3.37 "safety inspection" means an examination of a locomotive for safety defects while stationary by a certified locomotive inspector or a person in charge as defined herein, to verify that it may move safely, and to identify those defects listed in Part III of these rules which may inhibit such movement and require correction. Safety inspections are intended to be of a visual nature;

3.38 "safety inspection location" means a location designated by a railway company where certified locomotive inspector perform safety inspections;

3.39 "safety inspection record" means a record in hard copy form or otherwise, including a computer record, which attests that a safety inspection as defined herein was performed;

3.40 "three flute horn" means the horn is composed of 3 projectors sounded in unison, with the following fundamental frequencies: 261 Hz, 311 Hz, 470Hz, +/- 20Hz; the assembled horn should have the minimum 1/3 octave band SPL in the 2000-3150 Hz range, not less than 12 dB below the maximum 1/3 octave band SPL in the 250-1250 Hz range.

3.41 "train" means locomotive(s), with or without cars, so designated by its operating authority, displaying marker(s);

3.42 "yard service" means locomotives involved exclusively in switching, marshalling, humping, trimming and industrial switching.

4. Railway Company Responsibility

4.1 A railway company is responsible for the inspection and repair of all locomotives to ensure safe operation. All components, appurtenances and control apparatuses of all locomotives must be designed and maintained to perform their intended function.

4.2 A railway company shall reply in writing or by acceptable electronic means, within fourteen (14) days, to the department's regional office concerned, on the corrective action taken to correct a violation/defect reported by a railway safety inspector. The reply, from an appropriate railway officer, shall also include the unit initials and number and the date and location of the corrective action taken.

5. Application of Safety Inspections and Movement Restrictions

5.1 A railway company shall ensure that locomotives placed or continued in service are free from all safety defects described in Part III of these rules.

5.2 Locomotives identified with safety defects may be moved to a designated location for repair, when authorized by a person in charge, who shall ensure that:

  1. the locomotive is safe to move; (in operating or dead head mode in the direction of travel);
  2. a means to protect the locomotive's safe movement is implemented, including, identifying to all employees involved the defects which restrict the locomotive(s) movements, the designated location for repair and the name of the person in charge authorizing the movement; and,
  3. the movement of a locomotive with safety defects shall be controlled and protected by the use of a bad order information system, the appropriate records will be retained for a period of ninety two (92) days.

6. Certified Locomotive Inspector

6.1 A railway company shall ensure that certified locomotive inspectors are trained to perform safety inspections of locomotives in compliance with these Rules. Certified locomotive inspectors must demonstrate to a railway company by means of oral or written examination and on-the-job performance, a knowledge and ability concerning safety inspection of railway locomotives.

6.2 A railway company shall maintain a record of certified locomotive inspectors who perform safety inspections. This record shall be made available to a railway safety inspector upon request.

6.3 Certified locomotive inspectors shall be recertified if they have not been performing the duties prescribed in these rules for a period extending over three years.

7. Safety Inspection Locations

7.1 A railway company shall file with the Department a list of its safety inspection locations. Any changes to the list of safety inspection locations shall be filed with the Department sixty (60) days prior to implementing such changes.

7.2 At safety inspection locations:

  1. all locomotives placed in service or placed on a train for freight service only shall receive a safety inspection;
  2. all locomotives on a train for the purpose of passenger use only placed in service or laid over for more than eight (8) hours shall receive a safety inspection.

7.3 A railway company shall maintain a record of all locomotives which received a safety inspection. This information will be retained for a minimum of ninety two (92) days and will be made available to a railway safety inspector upon request.

7.4 At safety inspection locations, locomotives operating in "yard service" or "designated service" shall receive a safety inspection at intervals not exceeding ten (10) days.

7.5 At those locations, prior to departure of a train where locomotive(s) receiving a Safety Inspection have been placed in service or placed on a train, the locomotive operator shall be notified that a Safety Inspection has been made. Such notification shall include any information required for movement of safety defects as provided in Section 5.2 of these Rules.

8. Pre-Departure Inspection

8.1 At locations other than Safety Inspection Locations, where a locomotive is placed in service, or a locomotive layover of more than 8 hours has occurred, the locomotive shall, as a minimum requirement have a pre-departure inspection by either the locomotive operator or other qualified person for those conditions listed in Appendix I.

8.2 The locomotive operator shall be responsible for determining that the prescribed inspection has been completed prior to departure.

8.3 At locations other than Safety Inspection Locations all operating locomotives shall receive a safety inspection at intervals not exceeding forty five (45) days.

9. Captive Service

9.1 Section 7.1 of these rules do not apply to locomotives used exclusively in captive service if a railway company:

  1. establishes safety inspection criteria, and;
  2. files railway schedules with the department that specify the locations of the captive service, and the applicable inspection criteria imposed on such locomotive(s), thirty (30) days prior to operation.