12-26-2009, 10:10 AM
doctorwayne Wrote:As far as I know, the 40 year rule applied to the car's underframe. The car body could be repaired, modified, or replaced completely, but if it continued to re-use the original frame, it had to be taken out of interchange service after 40 years. On the other hand, a car whose frame was rebuilt or replaced was considered to be "new", and consequently received a new BLT. date.
Wayne
This is correct. NS and CSX fairly recently went through a massive retirement/replacement program of what appeared to be relatively new Conrail coalporter gondolas. Turns out these gons were not new, but rebodied by Conrail Hollidaysburg Car Shop using 100 ton hoppers, the first of which were manufactured by the PRR in 1964.
Apparently the 40 year rule was superseded by a 50 year rule, and now the AAR (but not the FRA as of yet) has increased that to 65 years.
-Dave