Hi everyone. Heard this mentioned quite a bit; can someone explain to me what FRA glazing is? Thanks. Seth

That's a simple, yet difficult question. The best answer I can give is to look at the law associated with it: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=36419934603f85c0a2559a87cd464e6d&rgn=div5&view=text&node=49:4.1.1.1.18&idno=49. There are several different materials and material combinations that meet the requirements of FRA glazing. There are also different requirements based upon the location and use of the window (Type I or Type II).

At the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, we've put FRA glazing in our Alco S1 #310 and will be putting it in our GE 95-tonner #11. We're also in the process replacing the windows in the Long Island coach since the current FRA glazing is some type of polycarbonate that has fogged up over the years. FRA glazing is very expensive, but it has a purpose - it protects the crews and passengers from flying debris.

To go half-a-step further, passenger railroads (Amtrak & the commuter properties) must also to comply with glazing standards found in Sections 238 and/or 239, which parallel Section 223. There is extensive and expensive testing involving, among other things, dropping cinder blocks on the glazing, and shooting the glazing (22 long rifle lead bullet of 40 grains in weight @ 960 fps velocity), to assure that the laminates embeded between the layers of glass do their job and prevent penetration of the "foreign objects" into the cab or passenger compartment.

I've represented a number of transit properties at a number of these tests, and it is always interesting. The shooting part isn't too big a deal, but it isn't easy to drop a cinder block on a windshield (FRA Type I) from the height necessary to attain a velocity of 44 fps, in such a way as the corner hits within 3" of the center of the test piece.

G.F.Payne
Baltimore, MD

That topic comes up a lot on projects; whether to use it, ignore it, or apply for a waiver.

I always thought it was one of the more annoying and unnecessary regulations out there (and expensive) until I had an Amtrak episode in 1996. I was riding in the lower family Superliner bedroom, with my kids, on the UP main line between Cheyenne and Laramie. We were moving about 15mph with a auto-rack heavy freight passing us in the same direction at full track speed (70?) when I heard a 'banging' coming from the distance and then what sounded like a shotgun blast going off right behind my head, as I was seated near the window. There was a scream from the roomette behind me, and I ran out and around to check - the female occupant was huddled in the hallway corner, completely terrified, and pointed at the window.

There was a chunk of lexan missing out of it; about the size of a two split fingers in a "V" shape, big gouge. We'd been hit by something, BIG. I ran upstairs to find the car attendant and call him down that we'd been hit by the passing freight train. I was rather casually dismissed until he came downstairs to look and then he pretty much freaked out, radioed the conductor, and we made an emergency stop. The crew walked the train. They radioed ahead to stop the freight train.

We'd been raked the entire length of the train by a loose autorack panel. It had bounced down the entire train, but taken a significant chunk out of that window, which when I studied it closer, just happened to be about a foot behind my head on the opposite side of the partition in the next room. The FRA glazing had taken an incredible hit, nearly been punctured. If it had been, I suspect I would have been either injured or killed. The physics involved are pretty impressive.

When we got to Laramie, the freight was pulled over and inspectors were everywhere.

So while I can still understand why many in this business legitimately grumble over FRA glazing standards, that little episode certainly changed my personal perspective. If you've got it, keep it, and if you're on the fence, remember that story. Yeah, that's Amtrak and UP, but there's good reason for it in the real world.