AAR Circular Letter
C-8864

March 24, 1998

EW-162-S1

(c-8864)

 

Subject: Removal / UT Inspection of Edgewater & Mafersa Wheels Manufactured 1994-95

TO MEMBERS AND PRIVATE CAR OWNERS

 

File Number: TWBL-11.13

 

This Early Warning provides supplemental information to EW-162 which was issued March 16, 1998. The Wheels, Axles, Bearings and Lubrication (WABL) Committee continues to investigate the failures. The WABL Committee has also clarified a few other issues.

Removal Criteria

Pending completion of the investigation, the instruction to remove on sight: H-36 Wheels (Group J-1, 36" 1-Wear Heat-Treated Curved-Plate), manufactured in 1994 or 1995 by Edgewater Steel (Identification Mark "EW") or Mafersa (Identification Mark "MW") will stand.

Ultrasonic Test Procedures

Car owners may elect to perform ultrasonic testing of removed wheels. Such testing must be performed in accordance with AAR Specification M-107, Section 18 (Section G of the Manual of Standards & Recommended Practices). The ultrasonic test should, of course, focus on the wheel tread. Any inclusions equal to or larger than 1/8" will condemn the wheel. The wheels must be pressed off the axle at an AAR certified wheel shop and scrapped.

Wheelsets having inclusions less than 1/8" or no inclusions may be reused / continued in interchange service provided the wheelsets have no other condemnable wheel, axle or roller bearing defects and reconditioned or new roller bearings have been applied.

Marking Requirements

Wheelsets that have passed the ultrasonic inspection requirements must be stenciled, in two locations 180 degrees apart, on the front face of both wheel plates "UT" in 1½" white letters.

Removed Wheelsets

Wheels removed under EW-162 must be scrapped unless they have been ultrasonically inspected and passed the above UT criteria

Wheel Shops & Wheelsets in Service Stock

The subject wheels must be scrapped unless they have been ultrasonically inspected and passed the above UT criteria.

Reprofiling of these wheels is allowed provided they have been ultrasonically inspected and passed the above UT criteria and all other AAR Wheel & Axle Manual requirements are met.

Reporting & Billing Instructions

Repairing lines should continue to report the removed wheels as Why Made Code 23, Government Regulatory Requirement, unless you have a specific wheel defect to report in which case the actual Why Made Code should be reported. Report Job Code 3071 removed in all cases. The removed roller bearings and axles should be reported with appropriate Why Made Codes ("11" in most instances).

The WABL Committee may in the future move the subject wheels to Group G (obsolete).

Other Actions

Another supplement will be issued when the WABL Committee and AAR staff have identified the customers of the approximately 36,000 wheels covered by this Early Warning. We will also provide instructions for identifying freight cars that have been inspected and determined not equipped with the subject wheels.

 

Sincerely,

Patrick T. Ameen

Executive Director – Mechanical