Defect Detection, Inspection, and Bad Order Procedures
Inspection points
Inspect brake shoes for wear and cracks, piston travel (typically 7–9 inches for freight cars, per the applicable rule), slack adjusters, brake rigging, hoses, angle cocks, retaining valves, and wheels for flats or shells. Listen and feel for air leaks. Check both sides of the car. A car that fails a limit is bad order.
Bad order procedure
Tag the car, notify the dispatcher or yardmaster, and set it out or repair it before movement. Do not cut out a defective brake and move the car as if it were repaired. Record the defect and the disposition. Protect the work area with blue signal protection before going under or between cars.
Worked example
A car shows 10.5 inches of piston travel and a bent slack adjuster. The limit is 9 inches, so the car is bad order. The inspector tags it, notifies the yardmaster, and the car is set out for repair. The crew does not simply cut out the control valve and continue, because the car would have no effective brake.
Traps that cost marks
Measuring piston travel with the brakes released or the hand brake applied. Checking only one side. Treating an audible leak as normal. Cutting out a brake and moving the car without authority. Missing a cracked brake beam or a missing pin because the shoe looks good.