What's Up with Yellow Safety Stipes?

[rochsub]

With school out for the summer, I've finally had some time to watch trains.  One thing I noticed right away is that about 80% of the cars have the yellow safety stripes added.  I'm surprised they got so many done.  Anyone in the know as far as timing goes?  I'm setting the Geneva Sub at Summer 2008, before the concrete ties were installed on the north UP mainline track.  Did they begin the striping of cars by then or is it a more recent event.  Anyone got the timing info?

Daryl

[Hyperion]

All Locomotives have until the end of this year to be completed, but I'm fairly certain they've been long-since completed.

All Freight Cars have until the end of 2015 to be completed.

[Craig Martyn]

Generally referred to as "conspicuity striping" or even... "idiot stripes". 

Either way, for your 2008 time frame, you'll have a mix of cars with and without.

[rochsub]

Correction.  The concrete ties were installed Summer 2007.  Were there a mix of cars with and without at that time?  Hope so as some of the recent cars added to the layout have the stripes, but most of my rolling stock does not.

Daryl

[cv_acr]

Definately yes.

[cv_acr]

Btw, you can search by date (year) on my freight car site:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/search.html
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/search.pl?photo_date=2007&display=full

Sample size of about 1600 for you.

[Hyperion]

Correction.  The concrete ties were installed Summer 2007.  Were there a mix of cars with and without at that time?  Hope so as some of the recent cars added to the layout have the stripes, but most of my rolling stock does not.

Daryl

By Fall of '07, 20% of all freight cars and 40% of all locomotives were required to have been modified.

While the UP was required to submit paperwork on what exactly it's percentages were at that time (everyone has to once per year to keep the FRA updated on progress), you can be sure they were at least those figures.  Locomotives were done fairly quickly, usually as part of an 368/M12 inspection so most would have been completed by your timeframe.  Cars would likely have been somewhat closer to the minimum requirements.

[pogopod]

Does anyone have a source for safety stripe material?

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

Look for some decals of yellow stripes, that's what I've seen done.

[ljudice]

It started in 2005...

Microscale and Highball Decals both have N-scale stripe materials

[fcnrwy]

I have used just yellow stripe decals from decal sets, that I have picked up cheap.

There is a Government website that I had found, that address this matter.
The work was to be done in five years, starting in 2005.  The percentage was 20% per year there after. (20/40/60 and so on.)  It also, specified the amount (square footage) of reflective material required per car length.

Jerry G.

[rochsub]

Thanks for the info!  Looks like for 2007 a mix with and without safety stripes will be appropriate.

Daryl

[bicknell]

Also, IIRC priority was given to tank cars as they were responsible for a majority of the accidents at crossings.  At least around here tank car striping rates greatly outpaced the rest of the fleet.

[jmlaboda]

"Also, IIRC priority was given to tank cars as they were responsible for a majority of the accidents at crossings."

You must not be recalling correctly.  Idiot and drunk drivers were responsible for the majority of the accidents at crossings.  Stupid truckers tend to target tank cars.

"Looks like for 2007 a mix with and without safety stripes will be appropriate."

Great... someone else falling for the "politically correct" garbage... Give me a UP GEVO or ECO with a proper red stripe anyday!!!

[rochsub]

"Also, IIRC priority was given to tank cars as they were responsible for a majority of the accidents at crossings."

You must not be recalling correctly.  Idiot and drunk drivers were responsible for the majority of the accidents at crossings.  Stupid truckers tend to target tank cars.

"Looks like for 2007 a mix with and without safety stripes will be appropriate."

Great... someone else falling for the "politically correct" garbage... Give me a UP GEVO or ECO with a proper red stripe anyday!!!

I like the red better than the yellow on UP engines as well.   However, I need SD70Ms without flared radiators.  Man, there are a ton SD70s on the UP.  Seems like at least half of the locos that go through Rochelle are SD70s.  I got 3 flared units out of 38 UP locos total.  My ratio is way out of wack, but I don't know what to do about it.

Daryl