2009 Excursions with "New" Pullman Green Coaches

Mountcastle wrote:What is a COTS stencil?

This thing...

Oh, that thing. Guess it doesn't bother me one way or the other. I have no idea what it is. Whatevs.

COTS stands for Clean Oil Test and Stencil, which was a requirement on freight equipment under FRA regs for quite some time. I think - but am not 100% sure - that that requirement has been modified, or at least the information required to be stenciled has been modified.

A railroad may petition the FRA for a waiver for any requirement they wish. The FRA assigns a file number to the request, an inspector comes around to discuss it, and in due time a decision is rendered. I have no idea if such a waiver was requested by ARA or not, or even if they care to address the issue. The seem to be doing well and no doubt have a full plate as it is.

BR&P wrote:COTS stands for Clean Oil Test and Stencil, which was a requirement on freight equipment under FRA regs for quite some time. I think - but am not 100% sure - that that requirement has been modified, or at least the information required to be stenciled has been modified.

I have NEVER seen a COTS stencil on the BODY of a PASSENGER car that was in revenue service.

Mountcastle wrote:Oh, that thing. Guess it doesn't bother me one way or the other. I have no idea what it is. Whatevs.

Why did the Arcade & Attica go through the whole trouble of repainting the coaches to 1920s appearance only to ruin it with an artifact of the 1970s... Typical passenger cars carry their stenciling at the frame level, but not on the body. Look to Strasburg Railroad... no COTS on their coaches! And they are a common-carrier...

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=272300

It may not bother others, but these days tourist railroads thrive on historical accuracy as people look beyond the novelty of the actual train ride for their entertainment. I'll keep harping on it until someone from the railroad tells me to shut up.

-otto-

Hmmm.... no COTS stencils on these coaches, either... wonder what makes them different?

http://naugy.blogspot.com/2007/10/canad ... aches.html

-otto-