>"Clean Room" ???????????????????? FRA looking over everyone's shoulder? What in the hell are you talking about?

About all you can do when this sort of claptrap comes down the pike is shake your head.

>It is the AAR, not the FRA, that creates the standards for a "Certified Air Brake Shop", and these standards apply to brake valves intended for interchange service.

To our readers: Insert the word "freight" in front of "brake valves".

>WABCO and NYAB did appear to coat the insides of some brake valves with a type of paint, but I do agree that it would be unusual for anyone to bead blast the valves and paint the inside surfaces. The problems are as someone pointed out - trying to removes every trace of the blast media, and if the paint was the wrong type or improperly applied, especially if it flaked off or otherwise restricted some of the passages.

Last I heard, from a supervisor at WABCo, is that all you should use is solvent. Pump it through the passageways at pressure perhaps, but just solvent. The kind of solvent WABCo liked to use is now an haz-mat/environmental no-no, at least here in Calif.

>While there are reputable air brake shops (and a few fly by night ones) that will do older brake valves, you would be extremely hard pressed to find anyone willing and able to do any 8 schedule. The biggest issues with pre 26/ABD brake valves is that they are all no less than 50 years old, sometimes much more, and are just plain worn out. Without extensive work to the slide valves and piston rings, plus having the proper test racks, they can't just be cleaned, lubed, reassembled and thrown back on an engine or car.

As long at the valve bushings etc. pass condemning limits it's easily repairable. Test racks are not absolutely required because you are allowed to conduct your tests of the apparatus while it's on the locomotive where it's going to be used.

>The last I knew, there is no FRA requirement that locomotive or passenger brake valves be done by a certified or actual air brake shop.

Still true. People conflate loco and pass into the AAR freight requirements (which the FRA enforces).

>A shortline, museum or industrial can pull the valves off, clean and lube them, reinstall them and determine they are functioning properly. As long as they have done the work, and the brakes appear to be functioning properly, the FRA doesn't seem to care (at least at the moment).

Please change the word "appear" to "are".

>THe basic problem today is far too few people have a real understanding of air brake systems, either for operation or maintenance.

True words have never been spoken.