Restencil

Restenciling is the process of marking a railcar with a new car initial and number, typically after the car's reporting marks or its ownership changes. It updates the car's stenciled identity so that the markings on the car match its current owner and registered number.

When It Happens

A car may need to be restenciled when it is sold from one owner to another, when a railroad changes its reporting marks, or when a car is renumbered. Because the car's identity is the basis for tracking it, billing for it, and interchanging it, the physical markings and the supporting records all have to be brought into agreement with the new identity.

What Is Involved

Restenciling is more than repainting letters. It involves physically updating the initial and number stenciled on the car - painting over the old marks and applying the new ones - as well as reprogramming the car's AEI tags so that automatic trackside readers report the correct identity, and updating the car's registration in Umler, the industry equipment database. Only when the painted marks, the electronic tags, and the registration records all reflect the same identity is the car correctly restenciled. Keeping these in agreement is important so that the car moves, reports, and bills correctly throughout the interchange network.