49 C.F.R. § 215.123 Defective couplers.
Title 49 - Transportation
A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if— (a) The car is equipped with a coupler shank that is bent out of alignment to the extent that the coupler will not couple automatically with the adjacent car; (b) The car has a coupler that has a crack in the highly stressed junction area of the shank and head as shown in the figure below (see figure 2). (c) The car has a coupler knuckle that is broken or cracked on the inside pulling face of the knuckle. (d) The car has a knuckle pin or knuckle thrower that is: (1) Missing; or (2) Inoperative; or (e) The car has a coupler retainer pin lock that is— (1) Missing; or (2) Broken; or (f) The car has a coupler with any of the following conditions: (1) The locklift is inoperative; (2) The coupler assembly does not have anticreep protection to prevent unintentional unlocking of the coupler lock; or (3) The coupler lock is— (i) Missing; (ii) Inoperative; (iii) Bent; (iv) Cracked; or (v) Broken.
Title 49: Transportation
PART 215—RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS
Subpart B—Freight Car Components
Draft System
§ 215.123 Defective couplers.
