APTA STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
RAIL STANDARD
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20006-1215
APTA PR-I&M-S-015-00 Rev 1
First Published January 8, 2001
First Revision MMM DD, 2014
Working Group Approved January 31, 2014
Public Comment March 14, 2014
Rail CEO Approved MMM DD, 2014
Rail Policy & Planning Committee Approved MMM
DD, 2014
APTA Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards
(PRESS) Inspection & Maintenance Working Group
Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing
on Passenger Rail Equipment after a
Derailment
Abstract: This Rail Standard provides a procedure for the inspection and testing of roller bearings on rail
passenger equipment after a derailment.
Keywords: inspection and testing, major derailment, minor derailment, roller bearing inspection and testing,
roller bearings, wheel set
Summary: This safety standard describes the inspection and testing tasks to be performed and the
circumstances requiring the performance of these tasks. It also lists references that must be on hand or are
useful for the implementation of this standard; definitions of terms used in this standard; and acronyms used
in this standard.
Scope and purpose: This document is a safety standard for performing the inspection and testing of roller
bearings on passenger rail equipment following a derailment and prior to the derailed equipment being
returned to service. It provides a set of inspection and testing tasks that shall be performed after a derailment.
This safety standard is meant to provide organizations with basic requirements to be satisfied by the
inspection and testing process.
This Rail Standard represents a common viewpoint of those parties concerned with its provisions, namely, transit operating/planning
agencies, manufacturers, consultants, engineers and general interest groups. The application of any standards, practices or guidelines
contained herein is voluntary. In some cases, federal and/or state regulations govern portions of a transit system’s operations. In those
cases, the government regulations take precedence over this standard. NATSA (North American Transit Standards Association) and its
parent organization APTA recognizes that for certain applications, the standards or practices, as implemented by individual transit
agencies, may be either more or less restrictive than those given in this document.
© 2014 NATSA and its parent organization. . No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of NATSA. .
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................... iii
1.Inspection and testing procedures................................ 1
Participants
The American Public Transportation
Association greatly appreciates the
contributions of Jon Condrasky, Dave
Elliott, Paul Kovacs, Jayendra Shah,
Sherman Shreves, Mike Yeager, and
Robert Young who provided the
primary effort in revising this Rail
Standard.
At the time this standard was
completed, the Passenger Rail
Equipment Safety Standards
(PRESS) Vehicle Inspection &
Maintenance Working Group included
the following members:
1.1 Major derailment ......................................................................... 1
1.2 Minor derailment ......................................................................... 1
1.3 Guidelines for defective internal parts ........................................ 2
References.......................................................................... 3
Definitions .......................................................................... 3
Abbreviations and acronyms ............................................ 3
Summary of changes ......................................................... 3
Document history .............................................................. 4
Paul Kovacs, Chair
Robert Young, Vice Chair
Antonio, Jr., Ben
Baron, Ron
Bastawros, Sherif
Blackman, Jerry
Bonina, Stephen
Burke, Alan
Campbell, Gordon
Campbell, Richard
Canjea, Stelian
Carter, Jr., Homer
Chakraborty, Dhiren
Condrasky, John
Consavage, Terry
Curtis, Richard
Davis, Jr., Henry
Eberl, Phil
Eichin, Chris
Elliott, Dave
Grogan, Scott
Holland, Ben
Huggins, Antonio
Hughson, David
Jamieson, Paul
Johnson, Ronald
Kolesar, Henry
Kowalski, David
Krempasky, Joseph
Ley, Brian
Mack, Lloyd
Olekszyk, Phil
Plomin, James
Porter, Mike
Porter, Vicki
Pylkas, Laird
Rehfuss, Dennis
Rettig, Thomas
Romeo, Dave
Sadorra, John
Seaton, Richard
Shah, Jayendra
Shea, Jr., John
Shreves, Sherman
Skaggs, James
Stangas, Paul.
Turner, Brian
Yeager, Mike
Wallace, Wilson
Wilson, Dan
Woodbury, Cliff
Project team
Martin Schroeder
American Public Transportation Association
Charles Joseph
American Public Transportation Association
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association | ii
Introduction
This introduction is not part of APTA PR-IM-S-015-00 First Revision MMM DD, 2014 Standard for Roller
Bearing Inspection and Testing on Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment.
This introduction provides some background on the rationale used to develop this standard. It is meant to aid
in the understanding and application of this standard.
This standard describes the requirements for inspection and testing of roller bearings on passenger coaches
after a derailment. It is intended for the following:



individuals or organizations who maintain roller bearings on passenger rail equipment
individuals or organizations who contract with others for the maintenance of roller bearings on
passenger rail equipment
individuals or organizations who influence how roller bearings are maintained on passenger rail
equipment
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association | iii
APTA SS I&M-015-00 First Revision MMM DD, 2014
Standard for Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing on Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment
Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing on
Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment
1. Inspection and testing procedures
CAUTION: If speed or distance cannot be ascertained, it must be assumed that the wheel sets in
question were involved in a major derailment and must be removed from service.
NOTE: In accordance with the railroad’s operation and maintenance instructions and safety procedures,
visually inspect for any external sign of damage and perform a roll by inspection to detect any unusual
noise indicating internal damage, roughness, or catches in the rotation of the wheel set if the equipment
is going to be moved from the derailment site to a shop facility for wheel set removal. The integrity of
the equipment should be verified prior to movement, even if moved at a reduced speed.
1.1 Major derailment
Wheel sets must be removed and handled in accordance with the AAR Wheel and Axle Manual and the
Railroad’s safety and maintenance procedures. The roller bearings must be removed and disassembled for
inspection and necessary repairs.
1.2 Minor derailment
Wheel sets on empty or passenger loaded cars involved in a derailment at a speed of not over 10 miles per
hour or which have not moved on the ground more than 200 feet; inspect the roller bearings as follows:
1.2.1 Remove wheel sets
1.2.2 Bearings must be sufficiently clean to permit adequate inspection of all exterior parts.
1.2.3 Carefully inspect the outer cup for cracks or breaks.
1.2.4 Inspect for loose or damaged front and rear seals.
1.2.5 Inspect for missing or loose end cap screws.
1.2.6 Inspect for loose backing rings.
1.2.7 Inspect the roller bearing in accordance with the guidelines in section 1.3 below.
1.2.8 Check for a bent axle in accordance with AAR Rule 43.E. and the Railroad’s safety and
maintenance procedures.
1.2.9 Inspect end cap for cracks, broken ears or nicks, and dents and gouges in excess of 1/8 inches
deep.
1.2.10 If all of the above checks are satisfactory, continue wheel sets in service in accordance with the
Railroad’s operating procedures for returning equipment to service. Otherwise, the roller
bearings must be removed, disassembled, and inspected for damage.
NOTE: Field repair of axle bearing assemblies is not permitted by the AAR.
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association
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APTA SS I&M-015-00 First Revision MMM DD, 2014
Standard for Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing on Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment
1.3 Guidelines for defective internal parts
Feel for internal roughness or catches while holding rollers and raceways against each other during complete
rotation of both the bearing and the wheel as follows:
1.3.1
1.3.2
1.3.3
1.3.4
Push the cup toward the inner raceway and rotate the cup in one direction for at least two
complete revolutions.
Pull the cup toward the outer raceway and rotate the cup in the same direction as step 1.3.1 for at
least two complete revolutions.
Roll the wheel 1/3 of the way around (120 degrees) and then repeat steps 1.3.1 and 1.3.2.
Roll the wheel 1/3 of the way around (120 degrees) in the same direction and then repeat steps
1.3.1 and 1.3.2.
NOTE: Noise can be misleading. A clicking sound can result from the normal shifting of the rollers in their
cages. Shifting of the rollers can also be felt particularly when the direction of cup rotation is changed. In
general practice, neither of these conditions necessarily indicates the presence of a defect. The Railroad’s safety
and maintenance procedures will govern any decisions.
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association
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APTA SS I&M-015-00 First Revision MMM DD, 2014
Standard for Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing on Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment
References
AAR Rule 36 – Roller Bearings
49 CFR, Part 238, Passenger Equipment Safety Standards
This safety standard shall also be used with the following publications. If the following publications are
superseded by an approved revision, then the revision shall apply.



Applicable state and local regulations
Original equipment manufacturer instructions
Railroad maintenance instructions
Definitions
major derailment: Any derailment either occurring at a speed in excess of 10 mph or resulting in the derailed
truck(s) being dragged on the ground for a distance of 200 ft. or more.
minor derailment: Any derailment either occurring at a speed of less than 10 mph or resulting in the derailed
truck(s) being dragged on the ground for a distance less than 200 ft.
periodic maintenance: The performance of selected inspection and maintenance actions on systems or
subsystems. Regulatory agencies or the operating authority may set the frequency of these actions. The
frequency may be expressed as a function of time (i.e., days, weeks or months) or of utilization (i.e., mileage,
cycles, etc.). The scope of these inspection and maintenance actions must be in full compliance with all
applicable federal, state and local regulations.
roller bearing: The general term applied to a group of journal bearings that depend on the rolling action of a
set of rollers, in order to reduce rotational friction. The different types are distinguished by the shapes of the
rollers and by their arrangement in the bearing. Three types of rollers are in common use at present for car
journals: cylindrical, tapered and spherical.
wheel set: The term used to describe a pair of wheels mounted on an axle.
Abbreviations and acronyms
AAR
APTA
CFR
NATSA
PRESS
Association of American Railroads
American Public Transportation Association
Code of Federal Regulations
North American Transit Standards Association
Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards
Summary of changes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Document formatted to the new APTA standard format.
Sections have been moved and renumbered.
Scope and summary moved to the front page.
Sections of definitions, abbreviations and acronyms moved to the rear of the document.
Two new sections added: “Summary of document changes” and “Document history.”
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association
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APTA SS I&M-015-00 First Revision MMM DD, 2014
Standard for Roller Bearing Inspection and Testing on Passenger Rail Equipment after a Derailment
6. Some global changes to section headings and numberings resulted when sections dealing with
references and acronyms were moved to the end of the document, along with other cosmetic changes,
such as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar and general flow of text.
Document history
Document Version
First published
First revision
Working Group
Vote
Public Comment/
Technical Oversight
Rail
CEO Approval
Rail Policy &
Planning Approval
Published Date
Nov 1, 2000
-
-
Jan 8, 2001
January 2001
January 31, 2014
© 2014 American Public Transportation Association
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