Since I am not privy to the ends and outs of rail construction can someone (PDN: Mudchicken, RWM ) please enlighten us?/.
Can HEX nuts be used? If so why isn’t there a hex socket for the power tools?
Can old nuts be reused or are present applications now certain specific for this kind of application? Are there now specifications for nuts that cannot be met by old nuts?
Does this mean that some one in the US will need to spool up manufacturer nuts for other buy America applications?
There seems to be a factual matter in dispute here. The NNEPRA believes domestically made nuts are unobtainable except by custom order at great cost and delay while the railroad unions object to a waiver of the domestic requirement based on their belief that such nuts are a standard item in the catalog of suppliers such as Grainger. Who is correct?
This is too funny. Take the govt’s money you get entangled in red tape and higher costs. Sems like Pan Am must be using the forbiden foreign nuts. The FRA better get on the stick and enforce the law by having Pan Am tear out the new rail since the only way they can keep it together is with foreign nuts.
“Buy American” provisions such as this one are often written into the law because it plays well with the constituents back home (which includes us). The FRA does not have a lot of discretion in this matter, especially if somebody starts waving the flag.