Abstract: A rail yard management system that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on railcars to allow the management of the railcars within a rail yard. The invention is also applicable to yard management for vehicles other than railcars.

Abstract: A three piece railway freight truck is comprised of two laterally spaced side frames between which a bolster extends. Suspension load springs support the bolster, and control springs support friction shoes. Both variations of friction shoes have gaps that will allow lateral movement of the friction shoes across the bolster or the friction shoes across the side frame. The lateral movement is accomplished by having a low friction material pad between the bolster and the friction shoe or a low friction material pad between the friction shoe and a wear plate that bears on the side frame. The low friction material with low siding resistance allows lateral displacement energy to be dissipated over the lateral decoupling clearance.

Abstract: A cast steel railway wheel includes a hub that has an axial bore. A rim is concentric with the bore. A plate extends substantially radially from the hub to the rim. The plate has a front face and a rear face. The plate has a plurality of spokes that extend between the hub and the rim. Adjacent spokes have different thicknesses defined between the front face and the rear face.

Abstract: A system for monitoring operation of a railcar having one or more sensing units, mounted on the railcar, for monitoring operating parameters and or conditions of the railcar, and a communication management unit, in wireless communication with the sensing units, wherein the system can make a determination of an alarm condition based on data collected the sensing units. A temperature sensor device for use in such a system is also provided.

Abstract: Mounting rings and methods for mounting structures to shafts are provided. The rings and methods may be used to mount other rings or housings to a shaft. The rings are characterized by having flexible inner diameters that can deflect under a radial load. The radial deflection of the inner diameter permits the rings to deflect and engage an outer diameter of a shaft. The engagement of the rings with a shaft provides at least some resistance to movement, for example, rotation and/or axial displacement, of the shaft relative to the ring and structure. In one aspect, the ring has a closed, hollow, construction, for example, a circular, oval, or polygonal closed, hollow construction. The ring may include a plurality of indentations, such as slots, on the inside diameter of the ring that may relieve at least some of the circumferential stress in the ring. Methods for using the rings to mount a structure to a shaft are also disclosed.

Abstract: A stabilized railway car truck consists of two side frames and a holster. The bolster has laterally opposite ends, each end extending into and supported within a side frame opening on a spring group. The stabilized railway car truck also includes a transom extending into, and supported within, a side frame opening. The spring group is supported at each transom end. Each side frame has a pedestal opening at each end that receive a rotating lug to accept a elastomeric steering pad and bearing adapter. The attachment of the side frames and transom is a rigid pivotal connection. Friction shoes between the side frames and bolster provide damping of an initial low to a high rate friction once engaged. The pivotal decoupling of the side frame and transom, and the lateral movement of the friction shoes to the bolster, eliminates track displacement irregularities from reacting at the bolster and into the vehicle.

Abstract: A cast steel railway wheel includes a hub that has an axial bore. A rim is concentric with the bore. A plate extends substantially radially from the hub to the rim. The plate has a front face and a rear face. The plate has a plurality of spokes that extend between the hub and the rim. Adjacent spokes have different thicknesses defined between the front face and the rear face.

Abstract: A mounting plate fixed to a longitudinally extending rail is secured by a plurality of bolts in a substrate. The mounting plate is formed at each bolt with an array of ridges. An adjuster plate formed with a vertically throughgoing transversely elongated slot through which the respective bolt extends has a lower face formed with an array of downwardly projecting generally complementary to the ridges of the mounting plate and an upper face formed with a central recessed seat defined between two longitudinally extending and parallel edges at a predetermined transverse spacing. A gauge plate formed with two parallel outer edges spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the transverse spacing of the seat edges and with an eccentric circular hole of a diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the shank of the respective bolt that extends vertically through the circular hole fits in the seat.

Abstract: A brake beam assembly for a railway car truck includes a brake beam mounted between opposed side frames of the railway car truck with opposite right hand and left hand ends. A strut is coupled to the brake beam and has opposite right hand and left hand ends coupled to the brake beam. Brake heads are coupled to the brake beam and struts proximate to the right hand and left hand ends thereof. Each brake head holds a brake shoe configured to engage a wheel of the railway car truck. Paddles extend from the brake heads. The paddles have distal ends configured to be received in wear liners in corresponding side frames of the railway car truck. A separation distance between the distal ends of the paddles is adjustable.

Abstract: A railway car hatch cover includes an exterior shell cover, a gasket, and a mounting ring. The exterior shell cover has an outer-side and an under-side. The gasket is a vented gasket or a non-vented gasket, and the gasket is mounted to the mounting ring. The mounting ring is secured to the under-side of the exterior shell cover. The mounting ring is removable, and the gasket is replaceable with a second gasket. The second gasket can be vented or non-vented. The mounting ring is reinstallable on the under-side of the exterior shell cover. The replaceable gasket allows a single hatch cover to function as a vented hatch cover or a non-vented hatch cover depending on the type of gasket installed.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A stabilized railway car truck consists of two side frames and a holster. The bolster has laterally opposite ends, each end extending into and supported within a side frame opening on a spring group. The stabilized railway car truck also includes a transom extending into, and supported within, a side frame opening. The spring group is supported at each transom end. Each side frame has a pedestal opening at each end that receive a rotating lug to accept a elastomeric steering pad and bearing adapter. The attachment of the side frames and transom is a rigid pivotal connection. Friction shoes between the side frames and bolster provide damping of an initial low to a high rate friction once engaged. The pivotal decoupling of the side frame and transom, and the lateral movement of the friction shoes to the bolster, eliminates track displacement irregularities from reacting at the bolster and into the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.

Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.