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2020 AAR March Circular Letters

This notification provides a brief summary of each AAR Circular Letter issued during the prior month. TrinityRail monitors these Circular Letters as they relate to or may impact TrinityRail’s fleet, its customers, its shop network and its manufacturing operations. Circular letters may be viewed in their entirety by accessing the fee-based circular letter library from the Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) at https://www.aar.org/publications/.

These Circular Letter – Quick Notes are intended to improve accessibility to the users and are not proof of revision to the AAR, MSRP’s, Office or Field Manuals per M-1003 2.3.5.

C-13513
Subject: AAR Research Review Postponed
Date Issued: March 4, 2020
Date Effective: March 4, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
On behalf of our organizing teams at TTCI, I thank you for your support in attending our conference this year. Because of current and evolving public health concerns related to the COVID-19 virus, the 25th Annual AAR Research Review is being postponed to occur 23-24 June 2020.

C-13514
Subject: Cancelled – Town Hall on Early Warning System Rewrite and Car Repair Rates
Date Issued: March 10, 2020
Date Effective: March 10, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The AAR has cancelled the Town Hall Meeting schedule for March 26, 2020. A webinar will be set up and communicated shortly via this Circular Letter System to replace the Town Hall.

C-13515
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to AAR Intermodal Interchange Rules, Section F, Section H, Section L, and Section M, Tires Slid Flat, and Repair Limit Increase
Date Issued: March 10, 2020
Date Effective: March 10, 2020
Group: Car Owner, Repair Shop
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions to AAR Intermodal Interchange Rules, Section F, Section H, Section L, and Section M, to clarify when repair or replacement of tires with flat spots is needed, and an increase of the repair limit from $450 to $750.

C-13516
Subject: Open Registration for AAR M-1003 Basic and Advanced Auditor Training Classes in Mexico
Date Issued: March 10, 2020
Date Effective: March 10, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) has scheduled the Basic and Advanced Auditor Training classes in Mexico.

C-13517
Subject: Informational Circular, Car Repair Facility Labor Rate – Effective April 1, 2020
Date Issued: March 11, 2020
Date Effective: March 11, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The Car Repair Facility Labor Rate, effective April 1, 2020 is $141.22. This represents a decrease of $0.02 from the calculation for January 1, 2020.

C-13518
Subject: All AAR inspections and audits are postponed
Date Issued: March 17, 2020
Date Effective: March 17, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The AAR has determined it prudent to postpone all AAR inspections and audits. Therefore the AAR is immediately postponing all Quality Assurance M-1003, Tank Car M-1002, Mechanical Inspections, DPLS Quality Review, and other Technical Inspections and Audits until further notice.

CPC-1357
Subject: Tank Car Facility Certification Audits
Date Issued: March 17, 2020
Date Effective: March 17, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The AAR has determined it prudent to postpone all AAR inspections and audits. Therefore, the AAR is immediately postponing all Quality Assurance M-1003, Tank Car M-1002, Mechanical Inspections, DPLS Quality Review, and other Technical Inspections and Audits until further notice.

C-13519
Subject: Informational Circular, Canadian Car Repair Facility Labor Rate – Effective April 1, 2020
Date Issued: March 24, 2020
Date Effective: April 1, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The Canadian Car Repair Facility Labor Rate, effective April 1, 2020 is $182.61 CAD. This represents a decrease of $0.06 CAD from the calculation for January 1, 2020.

CPC-1358
Subject: Notification to Industry of AAR M-1002 Exhibit B-2 form
Date Issued: March 25, 2020
Date Effective: March 25, 2020
Group: Information, Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary:
The AAR has received requests from the tank car industry asking AAR to provide the AAR M-1002 Exhibit B-2 form. AAR through this CPC is providing industry the Exhibit B-2 form in its current state. The Exhibit B-2 form is an internal AAR document and therefore AAR reserve the right at any time without notification to industry to change the Exhibit B-2 form as needed.

CPC-1359
Subject: Clarification to the use of approved AAR Form 4-2 and associated fittings arrangement drawings by C6 and C6r Certified Facilities (T91.39)
Date Issued: March 25, 2020
Date Effective: March 25, 2020
Group: Car Owner, Information, Repair Shops
Summary:
At the request of industry, the AAR Tank Car Committee was asked to clarify M-1002, Chapter 1 as to what approved AAR Form 4-2 and associated fittings arrangement drawings are permitted for use by C6 or C6r facilities to modify fittings arrangements on tank cars.

CPC-1360
Subject: Notification to Industry on Availability of Fillable AAR M-1002 Exhibit B-1 and Exhibit B-3a form
Date Issued: March 25, 2020
Date Effective: March 25, 2020
Group: Manufacturer, Repair Shop
Summary:
The purpose of this CPC is to notify the industry that AAR has updated the M-1002 Exhibit B-1 and Exhibit B-3a. These updated forms reflect the final action published within CPC-1354.

CPC-1361
Subject: Notification to Industry on AAR M-1002 Tank Car Facility Registry
Date Issued: March 25, 2020
Date Effective: March 25, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The purpose of this CPC is to notify the industry that AAR has created a link to the AAR M-1002 Tank Car Facility Certification Registry for online public access.

C-13520
Subject: Solicitation of Comments for Revisions to MSRP Section I, Intermodal Equipment Manual, M-998, RP-853, Trailer Skirt, and IBC Handle Requirement
Date Issued: March 26, 2020
Date Effective: March 26, 2020
Group: Shipper
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit comments for proposed revisions to MSRP Section I, Intermodal Equipment Manual, M-998, and RP-853. The proposed changes define the requirements for trailer skirts, and design of the IBC handle position.

C-13521
Subject: Updated Schedule and Registration Links for 2020 AAR M-1003 Basic Auditor, Advanced Auditor and Root Cause Analysis Training Classes
Date Issued: March 27, 2020
Date Effective: March 27, 2020
Group: Information
Summary:
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) has rescheduled some of the 2020 Basic Auditor, Advanced Auditor and Root Cause Analysis Training classes. New M-1003 2019 revisions and program enhancements have been implemented in the new training materials for both the Basic and Advanced Training classes. Root Cause Analysis training class materials have also been improved.

C-13523
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section G-II, WHEEL AND AXLE MANUAL, RP-633, Axle W Dimension References and Axle K Dimension Update
Date Issued: March 27, 2020
Date Effective: March 27, 2020
Group: Manufacturer
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions to Section G-II, WHEEL AND AXLE MANUAL, RP-633, revision to the references for the Axle W dimension, removal of Fig. 4.76 Shop Status Code Explanation, and increase of the K dimension for Class F and Class K axles.

C-13524
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section G, Wheels and Axles, M-107/M-208, and S-669, Wheel Design Evaluation, Shot Peening Coverage, and Wheel Design Approval Process
Date Issued: March 27, 2020
Date Effective: March 27, 2020
Group: Manufacturer
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions to Section G, Wheels and Axles, M-107/M-208, and S-669, update of the freight wheel design analysis to include the analytic evaluation in S-669, update of shot peening surface coverage description from “greater than” to “minimum of,” and update to the wheel design approval process.

C-13522
Subject: Solicitation of Comments for Revisions to MSRP Section G-II, WHEEL AND AXLE MANUAL, RP-631, MD-11 Reporting and Bearing External Inspection
Date Issued: March 27, 2020
Date Effective: March 27, 2020
Group: Manufacturer
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit comments for proposed revisions to MSRP Section G-II, WHEEL AND AXLE MANUAL, RP-631, revision to MD-11 reporting and bearing external inspections to complete MD-11 form prior to completing external inspection.

C-13525
Subject: Implementation of Revisions to MSRP Section H-II, ROLLER BEARING MANUAL, S-723, Secondhand Seal Wear Ring Parallel Requirement
Date Issued: March 30, 2020
Date Effective: March 30, 2020
Group: Manufacturer
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of revisions to Section H-II, ROLLER BEARING MANUAL, S-723, revision to parallel requirements of secondhand seal wear rings. A previous revision removed the visual inspection of seal wear rings, this revision has added back the previous visual inspection requirements.

C-13526
Subject: Implementation of Editorial Revisions to MSRP Section G, Wheels and Axles, M-101, Axle End Chamfer
Date Issued: March 30, 2020
Date Effective: March 30, 2020
Group: Manufacturer
Summary:
The purpose of this circular letter is to notify the industry of editorial revisions to Section G, Wheels and Axles, M-101, the Notes in Fig. B.3 have been updated to remove the 7” x 12” axle end chamfer and the Y dimensions in the Fig. B.3 table have changed format to degrees.