Steam locomotive and tender wheels or tires developing any of the defects listed in this section shall be removed from service immediately and repaired. Except as provided in § 230.114, welding on wheels and tires is prohibited. A wheel that has been welded is a welded wheel for the life of the wheel.
- (a) Cracks or breaks. Wheels and tires may not have a crack or break in the flange, tread, rim, plate, hub or brackets.
- (b) Flat spots. Wheels and tires may not have a single flat spot that is 2 1/2 inches or more in length, or two adjoining spots that are each two or more inches in length.
- (c) Chipped flange. Wheels and tires may not have a gouge or chip in the flange that is more than 1 1/2 inches in length and 1/2 inch in width.
- (d) Broken rims. Wheels and tires may not have a circumferentially broken rim if the tread, measured from the flange at a point 5/8 inch above the tread, is less than 3 3/4 inches in width.
- (e) Shelled-out spots. Wheels and tires may not have a shelled-out spot 2 1/2 inches or more in length, or two adjoining spots that are each two or more inches in length, or so numerous as to endanger the safety of the wheel.
- (f) Seams. Wheels and tires may not have a seam running lengthwise that is within 3 3/4 inches of the flange.
- (g) Worn flanges. Wheels and tires may not have a flange worn to a 15/16 inch thickness or less, as measured at a point 3/8 inch above the tread.
- (h) Worn treads. Wheels and tires may not have a tread worn hollow 5/16 inch or more.
- (i) Flange height. Wheels and tires may not have a flange height of less than 1 inch nor more than 1 1/2 inches, as measured from the tread to the top of the flange.
- (j) Rim thickness. Wheels may not have rims less than 1 inch thick.
- (k) Wheel diameter. Wheels may not have wheel diameter variance, for wheels on the same axle or in the same driving wheel base, greater than 3/32 inch, when all tires are turned or new tires applied to driving and trailing wheels. When a single tire is applied, the diameter must not vary more than 3/32 inch from that of the opposite wheel on the same axle. When a single pair of tires is applied the diameter must be within 3/32 inch of the average diameter of the wheels in the driving wheel base to which they are applied.