Abstract: An improved railcar moving vehicle is capable of travel in a first rail travel mode on a railway track on rail wheels and in a second ground travel mode on ground wheels. When the rail wheels are driving the vehicle on the rails in the rail travel mode, further traction assist is achieved by lowering powered ones of the ground wheels so as to frictionally engage either the surface of the rail bed or the rails themselves with sufficient force to drivingly increase the traction of the vehicle in the rail travel mode. The powered ground wheels are preferably driven independently of each other and of the rail wheel sets in two of the preferred embodiments by independent hydrostatic motors. In the other preferred embodiment, the ground wheels are powered from the rail wheels.

Abstract: A weight transfer rail traction vehicle adapted for travel on alternate sets of rail or road wheels which is characterized by a number of features including: a spring and shock absorber system which cooperate to maintain the springs, while in a rail travel mode, in an active condition despite substantial weight transfer loads being placed thereon; a hydraulic system which enables the differential axles to be optionally spring supported to the frame or in a rigid fixed relationship therewith; a differential axle suspension system wherein the spring supported axle moves in a substantially vertical plane without lateral shifting; a shock absorbing coupler; a coupler mounting arrangement which includes a coupler carriage directly mounted to a lateral frame member of the vehicle which serves as a guideway for directing travel of the coupler carriage and hence the coupler mounted thereto in a horizontal direction and wherein the coupler itself is mounted for vertical movement with respect to the coupler carriage; a

Abstract: A weight transfer rail traction vehicle adapted for travel on alternate sets of rail or road wheels which is characterized by a number of features including: a spring and shock absorber system which cooperate to maintain the springs, while in a rail travel mode, in an active condition despite substantial weight transfer loads being placed thereon; a hydraulic system which enables the differential axles to be optionally spring supported to the frame or in a rigid fixed relationship therewith; a differential axle suspension system wherein the spring supported axle moves in a substantially vertical plane without lateral shifting; a shock absorbing coupler; a coupler mounting arrangement which includes a coupler carriage directly mounted to a lateral frame member of the vehicle which serves as a guideway for directing travel of the coupler carriage and hence the coupler mounted thereto in a horizontal direction and wherein the coupler itself is mounted for vertical movement with respect to the coupler carriage; a

Abstract: A weight transfer rail traction vehicle adapted for travel on alternate sets of rail or road wheels which is characterized by a number of features including: a spring and shock absorber system which cooperate to maintain the springs, while in a rail travel mode, in an active condition despite substantial weight transfer loads being placed thereon; a hydraulic system which enables the differential axles to be optionally spring supported to the frame or in a rigid fixed relationship therewith; a differential axle suspension system wherein the spring supported axle moves in a substantially vertical plane without lateral shifting; a shock absorbing coupler; a coupler mounting arrangement which includes a coupler carriage directly mounted to a lateral frame member of the vehicle which serves as a guideway for directing travel of the coupler carriage and hence the coupler mountd thereto in a horizontal direction and wherein the coupler itself is mounted for vertical movement with respect to the coupler carriage; a