The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued a railworthiness directive to all owners of Department of Transportation specification 111 general purpose tank cars known to have been manufactured with a particular design found to pose an accident risk.

The directive is aimed at certain DOT-111 tank cars built by St. Charles, Missouri-based American Railcar Industries, Inc. and ACF Industries, LLC. using welding practices that fail to conform with federal regulations and Association of American Railroads welding specifications. At issue is the 300 stub sill design that employs a two-piece cast sump and bottom outlet valve skid. Non-compliant welding practices have been proven to cause weld defects at the sump and BOV skid groove attachment welds that can affecting a tanks ability to safely and securely hold its contents during transportation.

The move was prompted by a May 2014 incident in which a Canadian Pacific Railway tank car leaked denatured alcohol in an Illinois rail yard. A subsequent investigation revealed defects in the groove attachment welds at the sump and BOV skid, including small pinholes, incomplete joint fusion, incomplete joint penetration and cracks.

FRA's directive requires tank owners to identify all affected tank cars in their fleets and to conduct appropriate inspection and testing of each tank car's sump and BOV skid groove attachment welds to assure no flaw exists that could compromise tank integrity.

If you are injured while traveling or working a railway, or if you know of a potential safety issue that hasn't been properly addressed by rail officials, contact Jacksonville's Rail Justice at 888-519-RAIL.