A railroad question?

Question

why is their such a big different in A.A.R rules of mechanical regulations and the F.R.A rules

Answer 1

Because if the railroads maintained only to the bare minimum required by the FRA, their maintenance costs would be through the roof!  

Have you seen how sloppy FRA class II and III track standards are?  If your track was barely compliant and you actually tried to *run* 25 or 40 mph... your train might not derail, but the bouncing heaving train would beat the daylights out of your track structure.  You'd be gouging ties, breaking joint bars... you'd go broke inside a month.  For simple economic practicality, you must maintain to a higher standard.

The railroads are a peculiar industry in that the AAR, the trade association, is much better financed and equipped than the government agencies which regulate it.  The biggest rail research facilities in this country are AAR operated, sometimes under contract to the government.

Answer 2

the double A  .. Mechanical regulations are set to protect the economical cost of running a railroad. The F.R.A  is focus on the  mechanical safety of rail cars. for example the wear limit of a 2inch brake shoe under the AAR is 3/ 8 of a inch wear the FRA is to the backing plate. reasoning being the AAR feel like changing a shoe at this limit  will stop wear on beam or a wheel at will be grove by a missing brake shoe.

Answer 3

im not sure

Answer 4

In addition, when railroads correct AAR (Association of American Railroads - has nothing to do with FRA) defects, they get paid for doing so to foreign line cars.  Higher tolerances = more AAR billing, plain and simple.  It comes down to the bottom line, as always.