Petition for a Waiver of Compliance

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Petition for a Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with 49 CFR Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice is

hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has

received a request for a waiver of compliance with certain requirements

of Federal railroad safety regulations. The petition is described

below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory provisions

involved, the nature of the relief being requested and the petitioner's

arguments in favor of relief.

Interested parties are invited to participate in this proceeding by

submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in connection with this proceeding since

the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party

desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in

writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for

their request.

All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the

appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket No. RSEQ-98-1)

and

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must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of Chief

Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Communications within 30 days of

the date of publication of this notice will be considered by FRA before

final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be

considered as far as practicable. All written communications concerning

these proceedings are available for examination during regular business

hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) in FRA's Docket Room, Room 7051 at 1120 Vermont

Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. The waiver petition is as

follows.

Railroad Museum of New England/Naugatuck Railroad (NAUG) FRA Waiver

Petition Docket No. RSEQ-98-1

The NAUG seeks a waiver of compliance with Part 240 of Title 49,

Code of Federal Regulations, ``Qualifications for Locomotive

Engineers'' (49 CFR Part 240). NAUG's petition states that in keeping

with the Museum's educational mission, NAUG's Engineer for an hour

program is designed to give participants the experience of operating a

locomotive (under controlled conditions) and to learn how a diesel-

electric locomotive works. Motive power would be drawn from the

Museum's pool of three road switcher units, a 1950 Alco RS-3, a 1965 GE

U25B and a 1957 EMD GP-9.

The operating zone would be between MP 12 and MP 16.3 on the

Northern end of the Naugatuck Railroad. This section of the railroad

contains no at grade crossings, no turnouts and no bridges. The regular

Naugatuck excursion trains operate between MP 1 and MP 11, thus

allowing a one mile separation between operating zones. The base of

operations would be located at the East Litchfield station.

Participants will reserve a session in advance and must be 21 years

or older. Additionally, the participant must provide a copy of a recent

physical exam or a doctor's letter, sign a release of liability, wear

appropriate footwear, clothing and eye protection and must, in the

judgement of the Museum's representatives, be able to operate the

locomotive safely.

Each participant will attend a one hour classroom session covering

railroad safety and instruction on the basic theory of diesel electric

locomotives and air brakes. Printed instructional material will be sent

to each participant in advance. At all times, each participant will be

under the supervision of Naugatuck Railroad's Supervisor of Locomotive

Engineers.

The proposed dates for this program are various weekends and

holidays between July 1 and November 30, 1998 and 1999.

Issued in Washington D.C. on June 2, 1998.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program

Development.

[FR Doc. 98-15185 Filed 6-8-98; 8:45 am]

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