Historic freight cars no longer need safety stencils if they stay off main lines

The US Federal Railroad Administration has removed a rule requiring certain freight cars to be stenciled with safety information. This applies to cars used for tourist, historic, or private purposes that do not travel on the main railroad network.

For decades, even privately owned historic railcars had to meet the same stenciling rules as active freight cars. This meant extra costs and paperwork for small operators of tourist railways or private collectors. Now, these operators can avoid that burden, making it easier and cheaper to maintain and run these specialized cars.