About AAR Circular Letters
Circular letter summaries are produced monthly by Greenbrier Management Services Group.
AAR circular letters provide information of general applicability to the railroad industry, including proposed and final rules, revisions, standards and recommended practices, and calls for comments. These summaries provide the main points of circular letters issued in the prior month, as well as important implementation deadlines.
For access to the complete circular letter, please go to my.aar.org/circulars. Circular letters are a fee-based service provided by the AAR’s Transportation Technology Center Incorporated (TTCI). You may subscribe online at publications@aar.com or call 719.584.0538.
Implementation Circulars
C-14108
Implementation Effective Immediately: CORRECTION to Field Manual Rule 88.A.15.f(7)
Issued: February 23, 2023
Effective: February 23, 2023
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry that there was a misprint found on page 678 in Rule 88 of the January 2023 Field Manual.
The corrected verbiage is identified below.
Present: Rule 88.A.15.f(7) (see Field Manual page 678)
(7) Loaded or empty tank cars requiring qualification/retest of pressure relief valves or tank, account overdue must be forwarded to destination carded on both sides as follows:
“OVERDUE FOR QUALIFICATION”
“MOVING UNDER AAR INTERCHANGE RULE II”
Corrected: Rule 88.A.15.f(7)
(7) Loaded or empty tank cars requiring qualification/retest of pressure relief valves or tank, account overdue must be forwarded to destination carded on both sides as follows:
“OVERDUE FOR QUALIFICATION”
“MOVING UNDER AAR INTERCHANGE RULE 88”
This circular is identified as mandatory in accordance with Field Manual Rule 1.5.b(11) and must be maintained until the next revision of the Field Manual.
Call for Comment
C-14107
Proposed Revisions to MSRP, Section M – LOCOMOTIVES AND LOCOMOTIVE INTERCHANGE EQUIPMENT: Standard S-5018 – DYNAMIC BRAKING CONTROL
Issued: February 24, 2023
Effective: February 24, 2023
At the November 2022 meeting of the Locomotive Committee a proposal from the Brake Systems Committee to revise S-5018 was approved. The revision pertains to Section 3.0 LOCOMOTIVE RESPONSE paragraph 3.4.2 which describes criteria for Dynamic Brake Interlock (DBI). The current text and the proposed revisions included in the circular.
Notice of Circulars
C-14104
Spring 2023 AAR Technical Committee Meetings – Revised and Updated
Issued: February 21, 2023
Effective: February 21, 2023
The dates and locations of AAR meetings that have been planned for the first half of 2023 are listed in the circular. AAR Meeting Announcements can be found online on the MxV Rail Technical Services web page: http://www.aar.com/standards/AARMeetingAnnouncements.html
Note: Locations have been changed for the Equipment Engineering and Car Repair Billing Committees.
Upcoming Event
PNWARS Spring Meeting
March 14 – 15, 2023
Greenbrier is a proud sponsor and exhibitor at the PNWARS Spring Meeting in Portland, OR. Featured speaker: Kari Wagner, Greenbrier’s VP, Commercial Strategy.
Greenbrier’s Regulatory Services Group
Peace of mind for your business.
The Regulatory Management Group, led by James Rader, provides regulatory, engineering, process consulting and advocacy support to the railcar repair industry and the petrochemical rail shipper community.
- ASNT Level III Subscription Services
- DOT Compliance Assessments (Corporate and Plant)
- DOT Hazardous Materials Training (Corporate and Plant)
- Expert Witness Services in Rail-Related Litigation
- Federal Government Claims Mitigation (e.g. FRA and PHMSA)
- Nondestructive Testing Programs
- Quality Assurance Program Development
- Regulatory Counsel and Policy Advocacy
- Railcar Repair Management (Design Review, Drawings, Engineering and AAR Approval Administration)
- Tank Car Reliability and Maintenance Programs (49 CFR Subpart F of Part 180)
- Tank Car Maintenance Data Collection and Reliability Performance Analysis
- Welding Program Development
For inquiries about these summaries or any of our services, please reach out to: regulatoryservices@gbrx.com
About Greenbrier Management Services (GMS)
Greenbrier Management Services (GMS) is North America’s most comprehensive railcar management solutions provider. GMS manages nearly 400,000 railcars and has invested over 20 years in developing technology, processes, and people to provide the best railcar management products and services in the industry. GMS is powered by proprietary software and the best subject matter experts in the railcar business.
COMPREHENSIVE. INTEGRATED. VALUE.
Combined, these two vitally important capabilities are able to deliver world-class solutions to every type of customer, from Class I railroads, lessors and industrial shippers to financial investors. GMS brings broad expertise to cover nearly any railcar management need that customers may have and its integrated solutions and reporting can be customized for any customer function or management need.