AAR-600-Tank Container Registration with the Association of American Railroads

Background
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) requires tank manufacturers or owners to
register tank containers with AAR if they are to be carried on North American railways.
Specifications for acceptable tank containers were first established in 1979 by the AAR
Tank Car Committee following several incidents of catastrophic tank failure.

Confirming Tank Registration

AAR registration can be confirmed by entering a tank container reporting mark and
number in the AAR 600 website http://www.aar.com/ttci/aar600/index.asp. A tank that is
not registered in AAR 600 will not be accepted for rail transportation in North America.
Intermodal terminals will reject tanks that are not registered.

New Tank Registration

If a tank container is not registered in the AAR 600 data base, the manufacturer or owner
must provide copies of the AAR 600 Conformance Examination Report, as required in
the AAR’s Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP) M-1002 Chapter
4, AAR600-17. The Conformance Examination Report can be obtained from the
registration company that certified the tank container, such as Bureau Veritas and
Lloyd’s. An example of a Conformance Examination Reports can be found at the bottom
of this document.

A copy of the Conformance Report must be sent to the AAR Bureau of Explosives
(BOE). A Conformance Report can cover from one to several hundred identical tanks in a
consecutive series and provides a statement by the registration agency that the tank
containers listed meet requirements of AAR 600. Initial tank construction certificates
will also be accepted, however please be advised of the cost difference stated below
under Registration Fees. An initial tank inspection certificate is the complete inspection
of the characteristics and design specifications on an individual tank. This document
covers one tank container only and does not include an AAR 600 certification statement.

Documentation must be sent to:

AAR Bureau of Explosives

Attention: AAR 600 Registration
P.O. Box 11130
55500 DOT Road
Pueblo, CO 81001, USA
Phone: +1-719-584-0749
Fax: +1-719-585-1895
E-mail: boe@aar.com
REGISTRATION FEES
Individual Tanks: $140.00(US) per tank when the initial tank construction certificate is
sent to the BOE.
Series of Identical Tanks: $140.00 per tank series when the AAR 600 Conformance
Examination Report is sent to the BOE.
Processing Fee: $25.00 (US) per application
Fees may be paid with Credit Cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover, or American Express),
Check, bank wired transfers for those overseas, or PO.
Processing Time
Processing takes place on a first come-first serve basis and takes 1 to 2 weeks depending
on types of documents sent in to review and the volume of customers requesting
registration. Companies requesting expedited processing will be charged double the
standard rate.
Example AAR 600 Conformance Examination Report Layout
REPORT p
3/6
Nr. AVS / / 02 Rev. 0
BVCT /
ANTWERP DISTRICT

TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT, TRANSPORTATION

AAR 600 CONFORMANCE - EXAMINATION REPORT OF TECHNICAL

DOCUMENTS FOR INSPECTION OF PORTABLE TANKS
TYPE:
_______________________________________________________________________

Manufacturer :

Owner :

Operator :

Registration nrs :

Serial nrs :

Quantity :

Model :

Dimensions :

M.A.G.W. :

Capacity :

Tare weight :

At the request of :
By letter :

The technical file relating to the manufacture of the above portable tanks, presented by the
Company’s relevant department and including the documents mentioned in Annex 1, has been
examined within the general conditions governing the “BUREAU VERITAS RULES” and the
applicable regulatory provisions and is subject to the following remarks.

All details not shown in these documents are assumed to be in compliance with the construction
practices and within the provisions of the applicable regulations.
Example AAR 600 Conformance Examination Report Layout

REPORT p 4/6
Nr. AVS / / 02 Rev. 0
BVCT /

1. COMMENTS

The conformance of these units with the provisions of AAR 600 has been checked,
namely:

AAR 600-1 Type :

AAR 600-4 Design pressure :

AAR 600-5 Material :
Standard :
Thickness :

AAR 600-11 Protective housing

AAR 600-12 Bottom discharge :

:

AAR 600-13 Safety relief :

device(s)
Total vent capacity according to IMDG / US DOT
Certified capacity at * psi

+ rupture disc

+ flame trap type Fort Vale 176/2200

+ flame trap type Fort Vale 176/6000

AAR 600-15(d) Impact test :

Example AAR 600 Conformance Examination Report Layout
REPORT p. 5/6
Nr. AVS / / 02 Rev. 0
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2. CONCLUSION

The tank containers are in accordance with the requirements of the AAR 600
specifications
(Date 1.1.1996)

NOTE: The present Examination Report does not exempt the owner or the manufacturer
from observing the relevant requirements of the AAR 600-17 prescriptions.
________________________________________________________________________

Issued at Antwerp on “Date”

The Manager of the

Engineer in charge Transport Technical Center
Example AAR 600 Conformance Examination Report Layout
REPORT p 6/6
Nr AVS / / 02 Rev. 0
BVCT /

Annex 1

EXAMINED DOCUMENTS

General arrangment drawing

Frame drawing (front part)

Connection front frame - int. load transf. area

Frame drawing (rear part)

Connection rear frame - int. load transf. area

Intermediate load transfert area

Containers markings drawing

Manhole + cover drawing (general)

Manhole cover drawing

Manhole drawing

Tank construction drawing

Rear head drawing

Front head drawing

Shell drawing

Identification plates drawings

Overview identification numbers

Calculation note (manhole + cover)

Calculation note tank (ADR)