AAR Circular Letter C-8410

September 21, 1995

EW - 140

(c-8410)

Subject:   Defective Hyatt Certificate No. 6B Roller Bearings

TO MEMBERS AND PRIVATE CAR OWNERS

File Number: MMC-EW

This is a follow-up to Early Warning Letters EW-136, dated April 21, 1995; EW-1367, dated May 3, 1995 and EW-138, dated May 5, 1995 which advised the industry of a problem with defective Hyatt Certificate No. 6B Roller Bearings. All three Early Warning Letter have expired, but our records indicate 142 freight cars remain in service equipped with Hyatt Certificate No. 6B Roller Bearings.

Early Warning 140 is being issued to the industry to ensure disposition of the remaining 142 freight cars in service. This Early Warning Letter is being assigned Severity Level "A" (Stop Car Load or Empty, DO NOT MOVE: contact owner) in accordance with Exhibit AA of the UMLER Specification Manual. Replace the wheelsets using Why Made Code 25 (owner’s request) for the roller bearings and Why Made Code 11 (unless defects are found) for the wheels and axle. Bill the car owner through normal AAR billing procedures.

Your wheel shop (system or contract) should leave the roller bearings on the axle and contact Mr. Peter Wallack, Vice President, Hyatt Manufacturing at (908) 687-2900, FAX: (908) 687-2994 for disposition of the removed bearings. In addition to car initial and number, why made code and repair date per Rule 41, E.20, please mark the bearing cups with the wheel location under the car (R-1, L-4 etc.) and "EW-140" with crayon at the time of wheelset removal. Repairing lines are requested to attach all condemnable (per Rule 37) adapters to the wheelset journal when returning the wheelset to the wheelshop.

Freight cars with the subject roller bearings are reported on two lists. List 1 covers freight cars originally equipped with Hyatt Certificate No. 6B roller bearings when built. All roller bearings on these freight cars should be Hyatt Certificate No. 6B types.

The freight cars in List 2 had Hyatt Certificate No. 6B roller bearings applied as replacement bearings. The repairing lines were able to identify the roller bearings as Hyatt but could not identify whether or not the roller bearings were Certificate # 6B. The freight cars on List 2 must be inspected first. Do not remove roller bearings with other certificate #’s except for Field Manual Rule 36, Rule 41, or Rule 43 defects. If the car is equipped with Hyatt Certificate No. 6B roller bearings, remove the wheelsets and follow the instructions in this letter.

Report repaired cars and cars found with no # 6B roller bearings to the car owners and they will update the UMLER file to remove the car from the Early Warning list.

Early Warning Letter 140 will expire as of December 31, 1995.

BEARINGS IN SERVICE STOCK AT WHEEL SHOPS, ROLLER BEARING MOUNTING FACILITIES, CAR REPAIR FACILITIES AND CAR BUILDERS

Remove from service stock and contact Mr. Wallack of Hyatt Manufacturing for disposition.

Sincerely,

Patrick T. Ameen