There has been some interesting discussion surrounding Service Days and it is well defined what the Service Day is. I'd like to toss out a couple of hypotheticals concerning how to account for them.

1) An engine has not been operated after January 1, 2000 and is coming out of retirement. Steam tests are necessary to complete the initial 1472 day inspection. How can Service Days be charged to a engine if they occur before the engine is ever accepted for service?

2) An engine has been in service and has been taken down for the 1472. Test firings are done prior to the completion of the latest inspection. Do those days get charged to the pool of Service Days left from the previous 1472 or are they charged to pool of the soon to be completed inspection?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts shared........mld

1,)First you do not need a fire in the firebox to do a lot of testing. An external steam source will allow you to check many items without using a service day. Roundhouses had stationary boilers for many uses. Standard Oil used to set the safeties on SP 3420 at their facility and then all we had to do is check them once they were on the locomotive. Further the purpose of the 1472 day inspection is to inspect the interior of the boiler. By firing it up and stressing it you are affecting the area you inspected so the clock to the new inspection should start. Remember there is the 15 year clock and the 1472 day clock in the rule to consider. In the end you are probably going to use a few service days for testing but realize if you take 1472 and divide by 4 you get a 368 day year.

2.)New inspection new days. You do not get to drive your car in 2020 on 2019 tags because you did not drive it everyday. You chose when you did your 1472 day inspection not the inspector. let us consider the following situation. At the end of the season locomotive Beebe has 26 days left with 6 years to use them and you decide to do the inspection over the winter so you have the locomotive available for your 146 day season then it is your decision to have a 146 day season and have Beebe available for the season.

Hopefully this makes sense.

Robby Peartree

Edited for clarity.

If a steam test (230.37 Steam test following repairs or alterations) is required or needed during the 1472 day inspection process, and the steam test meets the definition of a service day (230.8), it has always been my understanding that this day would be added to the service day record for the next 1472/15 year cycle, even if all of the requirements of the 1472 day inspection have not yet been completed.

Once the locomotive is removed from service for a 1472, the next cycle starts as outlined in Part 230 for both the service days and the 15 year clock as applicable (230.17).

As noted, there are other ways to conduct steam tests without using a service day, but in most (not all) cases, a locomotive will reach 15 years before accumulating 1472 service days.

MD Ramsey

Service days count against the tubes that are in the boiler on the service day. Service days are recorded on FRA Form 5.

Though it isn't written, in my experience, the FRA understands the Catch 22 of not being able to fill out an honest Annual Card (Form 3) until after the boiler has been fired up, possibly several times. My understanding is that as long as the service days are counted and recorded against future inspections, and as long as the locomotive is not used in its intended service, i.e. doesn't leave the yard, and doesn't couple to other equipment, they are OK with pre-inspection-report fire ups.