GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. All handbrakes are to be firmly set with the hand levers
3. See General Rules 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19A and
19B appearing in section I of the General Rules Governing
wired or blocked. Gearshift levers for automatic or conven-
tional transmissions must be placed and wire-tied in neutral
the Loading of Commodities on Open Top Cars and Trailers
position.
published by the Association of American Railroads for fur-
2. Tires are to be inflated to 10 psi above highway operating
ther details.
pressures.
Table 7-3, Application of Chain Tiedown for Securing 5-Ton, 6x6 Trucks on Flatcars Equipped With Center Tiedown Rail (fig 7-3)
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
standard transmissions must have the gearshift lever wire-
1. Shippers should specify cars equipped with tiedown
tied in neutral position.
devices in the quantity shown in Item B when ordering
5. Open hooks must be secured with wire over the open-
specialized railway equipment. When carriers furnish cars
ing to prevent the hook from becoming disengaged from
that do not have built-in chains and tensioning devices,
chain link to which it is secured.
chains and turnbuckles of appropriate size and strength will
6. Turnbuckles used to tighten chains must be wired or
be used for securement of vehicles. Load binders are not
locked to prevent the turnbuckles from turning during tran-
to be used in lieu of turnbuckles to tension tiedown chains.
sit, unless turnbuckles are equipped with self-locking
2. Vehicles must face in the same direction and be uni-
devices.
formly spaced along the length of the car to allow sufficient
7. When vehicles are shipped in a loaded configuration,
space at each end of the car and between the vehicles for
the gross weight of the vehicle and cargo combined must
securement. Apply tiedowns parallel to each other at the
be determined in order to assure that the proper size and/or
same end of the vehicle and from the vehicle tiedown point
number of tiedowns are used to secure the vehicles to the
to the car tiedown facility. The angle of the tiedown should
railcar. The "weight" column of table 2-1 may be used
be as close to 45 as possible. When length of vehicles
as a base figure to determine the new restraint requirements
loaded on a 75-ft car precludes facing all in the same direc-
imposed by the additional weight of the cargo.
tion, one vehicle may be reversed to insure application of
8. Method of loading as shown is applicable to vehicles
tiedown at a floor angle of 45.
weighing up to 40,000 lb each. Vehicles in the quantity
3. Handbrakes must be set.
shown in table 7-4 can be loaded on 60-ft, 75-ft, 85-ft, and
4. Gearshift levers on vehicles equipped with automatic or
89-ft cars.
Table 7-4. Quantity of M39-Series Trucks That Can Be Loaded on Railroad Cars With Center Tiedown Rails
Change 1
