Association of American Railroads

This is the continuing effort to make publicly available the 1941 Association of American Railroads Material Standards.  These standards address certain key metallurgical issues that today’s engineer or an individual working on a historic piece of rolling stock may not be fully aware of due to the passage of time and the changes in the technologies used.  

There is more to material behavior than just tensile strength and the historic material specifications allow us an opportunity to understand the material properties that they desired.  The manufacturing of steels continues to evolve and finding replacement materials manufactured today with the broad range of behaviors (whether we still understand the desired behaviors is another issue) that are needed is the challenge for those working with historical equipment today.    

The index tells the reader the subject matter of the specific speciation and the corresponding Specification Number.  

Material Specification Table of Contents

1. Material Spec M-101-39 Axles, Carbon Steel, For Cars and Locomotive Tenders Pgs. 5 and 6.

Pg. 2. Material Specifications M-102-40 to M-107-37

1. Materials Specification: M-102-40. Forging, Carbon Steel, Annealed and Unannealed

2. Materials Specification: M-103-3. One-Wear Wrought Steel Wheels

3. Material Specification: M-104-37. Normalized and Tempered Steel Forgings.

4. Material Specification: M-106-34. Tires, Steel, Locomotives, and Cars

5. Materials Specifications: M-107-37. Wheels, Multiple Wear Wrought Steel

1. Notice Loose Pages

Pg. 3. Material Specifications M-108-40 TO M-113-34

1. Material Specification M-108-40 Boiler Tubes, Lap-Welded, Electric Resistance Welded and Seamless Steel and Lap-Welded Charcoal Iron

2. Material Specification: M-110-40 Rivet Steel and Rivets

3. Material Specification: M-111-39 Pipe, Furnace Welded, Electric Resistance Welded and Seamless Steel

4. Material Specification: M-112-34 Steel Bars, Carbon, for Railway Springs

5. Material Specification: M-113-34 Springs, Carbon Steel, Elliptical

Pg. 4. Material Specifications M-114-34 TO M-121-37

1. M-114-34 Springs, Carbon Steel, Helical.

2. M-115-38 Steel Boiler and Fire-Box, Locomotives.

3. M-116-37 Steel, Structural, Sharps, Plates and Bars.

4. M-117-37 Steel Sheets and Thin Plates, Carbon.

5. M-118-36 Coupler Knuckle Pivot Pins and Swivel Pins for Swivel Shank Coupler.

6. M-119-40 Galvanized Sheets.

7. M-120-35 Journal Box Lids.

8. M-121-37 Two-Wear Wrought Steel Wheels.

Pg. 5. Material Specifications M-122-37 TO M-202-38

1. M-122-37 Commercial Bar Steels- Hot Rolled and Cold Finished.

2. M-123-40 Specifications for Heat Treated Multiple Wear Wrought Carbon Steel Wheels.

3. M-151-29 High Chrome Steel Rivet Material and Rivets for Acid Tank Cars.

4. M-153-29 High Chrome Steel Tank Plates for Nitric Acid Tank Cars.

1. CAST STEEL

2. 5.M-201-36 Steel Castings.

5. M-202-38 Truck Bolsters.

6. M-203-38: Truck Side Frames, Cast Steel.

7. M-204-39: For Purchase and Acceptance of A. A. R. Standard “E” Couplers, Knuckles, Locks, and other Parts.

Pg. 6. Material Specifications M-205-38 To M-306-38.

1. M-205-38. Coupler Yokes.

2. M-206-40. Acceptance of A.A.R. Tight Lock Couplers and Coupler Parts, Radial Connections, Yokes, and Attachment Parts.

3. M-251-29. High Chrome Steel Castings for Valves for Nitric Acid Tank Cars.

4. M-301-37. Iron and Steel Chain.

5. M-302-40. Refined Wrought Iron Bars.

6. M-304-39. Staybolt Iron, Hollow Rolled.

7. M-305-39. Staybolt Iron, Solid.

8. M-306-38. Welded Wrought Iron Pipe.

Pg. 7. Material Specifications M-307-34 To M-601-38.

1. M-307-34. Wrought Iron-Blooms and Forgings.

2. M-401-37. Brake Shoes.

3. M-402-39. Malleable Iron Castings.

4. M-403-40. Wheels Cast Iron, For Locomotives, Tenders and Cars.

5. M-404-34. Unions and Pipe Fittings 300-lb. Pressure.

6. M-501-38. Bearings, Journal, Lined.

7. M-502-32. Bearings, Journal, Relined.

8. M-503-34. Bearings, Bronze, for Locomotives.

9. M-601-38. Hose, Air-Brake and Train Air-Signal.

10. M-601-38. Hose, Air-Brake and Train Air-Signal.

Pg. 8. Material Specifications M-602-38 To M-905-34.

1. M-602-38. Gasket, Air Brake Hose.

2. M-603-40. Hose, Air, Gas and Oxygen, Wrapped and Braided.

3. M-605-38. Hose, Steam and Hot Water.

4. M-606-38. Hose, Tender Tank.

5. M-607-38. Rubber Goods, General Instructions on Standard Methods of Test For

6. M-901-37. Approved Draft Gears for Freight Service.

7. M-902-37. Purchase Specifications for Approved Draft Gears for Freight Service.

8. M-904-40. Renovated Car Oil.

9. M-905-34. New Waste for Journal Box Packing.

Pg. 9 Material Specifications: M-907-33 TO M-911-39.

1. M-907-33.Lumber Pgs. 17, 18, 20-30

2. M-908-34 Paper, Insulation for Refrigerator Cars.

3. M-909-34. Water Gage and Lubricator Glasses.

4. M-910-39. Renovated Journal Box Packing.

5. M-911-39. Brushes-Bristle, Hair, Fiber, and Wire.