49 CFR § 215.119 - Defective freight car truck.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t49/s215.119"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "49 CFR § 215.119 - Defective freight car truck."
title_number: 49
title_name: "Transportation"
section_number: "215.119"
section_name: "Defective freight car truck."
chapter_name: "FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION"
part_number: "215"
part_name: "RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "49 U.S.C. 20102-03, 20107, 20171; 28 U.S.C. 2461; and 49 CFR 1.89."
regulatory_source: "44 FR 77340, Dec. 31, 1979, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "215"
---


# 215.119 Defective freight car truck.

A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if the car has—

(a) A side frame or bolster that—

(1) Is broken; or

(2) Has a crack of 
1/4 of an inch or more in the transverse direction on a tension member;

(b) A truck equipped with a snubbing device that is ineffective, as evidenced by—

(1) A snubbing friction element that is worn beyond a wear indicator;

(2) A snubber wear plate that is loose, missing (except by design), or worn through;

(3) A broken or missing snubber activating spring; or

(4) Snubber unit that is broken, or in the case of hydraulic units, is broken or leaking clearly formed droplets of oil or other fluid.

(c) A side bearing in any of the following conditions:

(1) Part of the side bearing assembly is missing or broken;

(2) The bearings at one end of the car, on both sides, are in contact with the body bolster (except by design);

(3) The bearings at one end of the car have a total clearance from the body bolster of more than 
3/4 of an inch; or

(4) At diagonally opposite sides of the car, the bearings have a total clearance from the body bolsters of more than 
3/4 of an inch;

(d) Truck springs—

(1) That do not maintain travel or load;

(2) That are compressed solid; or

(3) More than one outer spring of which is broken, or missing, in any spring cluster;

(e) Interference between the truck bolster and the center plate that prevents proper truck rotations; or

(f) Brake beam shelf support worn so excessively that it does not support the brake beam.