Abstract: A railroad freight car of the center beam type, in which the upright center beam has a top chord interconnected with a bulkhead at each end of the body of the car, and spaced-apart upright columns and elongate diagonal structural members interconnect the top chord with the center sill of the car body. A top chord may be of formed plate including longitudinal stiffening ridges and laterally outer reinforcing parts.

Abstract: A center beam railroad freight car including a cover for the lateral surfaces of the top chord of the center beam to reduce cargo damage, and wherein a bottom plate of a center sill of the car extends laterally as an inboard portion of a cargo-carrying floor.

Abstract: A railroad car includes a body having a pair of side walls and at least a pair of parallel horizontal support beams extending along the side walls at substantially the same height. A movable end portion of a deck built as a lightweight composite structure may pivot with respect to the pair of support beams. A respective counterbalance apparatus is arranged between each of the pair of side walls and the movable deck portion at a location spaced apart from the pivot axis so as to provide a lifting force acting on the movable end portion to urge it to pivot upward about the pivot axis.

Abstract: A center beam railroad freight car including a cover for the lateral surfaces of the top chord of the center beam to reduce cargo damage.

Abstract: A center beam railroad freight car including a cover for the lateral surfaces of the top chord of the center beam to reduce cargo damage.

Abstract: A multi-unit railroad freight car and a container-carrying bridge unit for such a car. The bridge unit extends between and is carried on the adjacent body bolsters of both of a pair of drawbar-connected well units designed for carrying stacked cargo containers. The bridge unit includes a center sill, a transverse bolster at each end of the center sill, and container-supporting arms extending from the bolsters and above the body bolsters of the adjacent container well units to support a cargo container.

Abstract: A center beam railroad freight car with a depressed cargo-carrying floor located on each side of the center beam in an intermediate portion of the car located between respective end portions of the car having higher floors. A bottom plate of the center sill in the intermediate portion of the car is included as a part of the depressed cargo-carrying floor, and crossbearers support floor sheets that extend laterally outward. Side surfaces of the center sill and columns of the center beam are coplanar.

Abstract: A multi-unit railroad freight car and a container-carrying intermediate unit for such a car. The intermediate unit is located between and coupled to each of a pair of well units designed for carrying stacked cargo containers. Coupled ends of the intermediate units and adjacent container well units are supported on a shared truck. The intermediate unit includes a center sill, transverse bolsters atop the center sill, and container supporting arms extending from the bolsters and above body bolsters of the adjacent container well units.

Abstract: A center partition or center beam railroad freight car with a bulkhead at each end and a depressed cargo-carrying floor located on each side of the center beam in an intermediate portion of the car located between respective end portions of the car having higher floors. A wide bottom plate of the center sill in the intermediate portion of the car is included as a part of the depressed cargo-carrying floor, and crossbearers are attached to the bottom of the center sill, extending laterally to side sills in the intermediate section of the car to support floor sheets that extend laterally outward from the bottom plate of the center sill. Longitudinal stringers are attached to the underside of the bottom plate of the center sill between the crossbearers. A body bolster has arms that extend diagonally upward and outward to side sills supporting the higher floors in the end portions of the car.

Abstract: A railway tank car of light weight and high cargo load capacity in which a tank shell structure is carried on and unified with an underframe including a stub sill at each end, a pair of spaced apart saddle bolsters, each joined to a respective one of the stub sills, and a center sill interconnecting the saddle bolsters. The tank shell rests on and is welded to the center sill, the saddle bolsters, and the stub sills, so that the tank shell is an integral part of the car, and both static and dynamic load forces resulting from train operation and from cargo loads are shared by the tank and the underframe. The underframe is constructed primarily of welded flat plate, with a minimum of specially formed parts and difficult welds, in order to simplify and minimize the costs of construction.

Abstract: A covered railroad car includes a car body having a pair of sidewalls and at least a pair of parallel horizontal support beams extending along each of the sidewalls at substantially the same vertical height. An interior deck portion is pivotally connected to the pair of support beams so as to move about a pivot axis on each respective support beam and a pair of brackets are coupled respectively to each of the support beams. A pair of spring-loaded lift assist mechanisms are coupled respectively between each one of the pair of brackets and the interior deck portion and spaced apart from the pivot axis so as to provide a lifting force causing the interior deck portion to pivot about each pivot axis.

Abstract: A structural assembly defining a corner of a doorway for a railway boxcar in which a square-cornered doorway opening is provided and yet stress concentrations are avoided. A corner connecting member interconnects upright and horizontal doorway frame structures, but instead of including an angular intersection of vertical and horizontal surfaces defining the doorway opening, the corner member includes an arcuate concave connecting surface extending between the upright and horizontal surfaces defining the doorway opening. The arcuate concave connecting surface is located outside the doorway opening and extends around the location where the vertical and horizontal surfaces would intersect, so that there is no angular intersection to concentrate stresses. An insert fits matingly along the arcuate concave connecting surface and has an inside corner defined by surfaces that are located to extend the vertical and horizontal surfaces and define the corner of the doorway opening.

Abstract: A floor plate assembly for a railway freight car structure. The assembly includes a floor plate and set of floor plate support assemblies, each having a base and at least one side wall. The side wall has an outer margin that in some embodiments is welded to the floor plate. A reinforcing bar is welded to the base and has a margin which is located closely adjacent to the floor plate and which is welded to the floor plate in some embodiments. In some embodiments the floor plate support assemblies each have two side walls and the reinforcing bar is welded to the base between the side walls. The floor plate support assemblies may be formed away from the railway freight car that is under construction by using a jig to facilitate welding the reinforcing bar to the base. The floor plate assembly may also be assembled separately and then may be efficiently welded to the members of the freight car underframe.

Abstract: A fully protective multi-unit railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles on two or three levels with the lowest level being in a cargo well between a pair of deep side sills. A pair of vehicle-carrying decks are adjustable in height and are counterbalanced against each other during adjustment of their locations. A roof structure is light in weight and constructed of corrugated sheet metal with a self-supporting central portion. The ends of the car are equipped with three-panel folding doors, and a flexible diaphragm closes the space between articulated adjacent car units supported by a shared truck. A modular brake operating system is mounted on the car body. An easily removable brake system module incorporates a compressed air reservoir, a dummy reservoir, a brake control valve, train line and brake cylinder connector lines, and a support structure. The module is easily removable and replaceable, allowing for repair and system testing at a shop.

Abstract: A fully protective multi-unit railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles on two or three levels with the lowest level being in a cargo well between a pair of deep side sills. A pair of vehicle-carrying decks are adjustable in height and are counterbalanced against each other during adjustment of their locations. A roof structure is light in weight and constructed of corrugated sheet metal with a self-supporting central portion. The ends of the car are equipped with three-panel folding doors, and a flexible diaphragm closes the space between articulated adjacent car units supported by a shared truck. A modular brake operating system is mounted on the car body.

Abstract: A fully protective multi-unit railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles on two or three levels with the lowest level being in a cargo well between a pair of deep side sills. A pair of vehicle-carrying decks are adjustable in height and are counterbalanced against each other during adjustment of their locations. A roof structure is light in weight and constructed of corrugated sheet metal with a self-supporting central portion. The ends of the car are equipped with three-panel folding doors, and a flexible diaphragm closes the space between articulated adjacent car units supported by a shared truck. A modular brake operating system is mounted on the car body. A hinge for a bridge for use in loading the car is adjustable to a stowage position in an edge of a deck.

Abstract: A railroad freight car of the center beam type, in which the upright center beam has a top chord interconnected with a bulkhead at each end of the body of the car, and spaced-apart upright columns and diagonal structural members interconnect the top chord with the center sill of the car body. At each end of the center beam an upper end of a diagonal bulkhead brace included in the center beam is attached to the bulkhead at an intermediate height, and a lower end is attached to the center sill adjacent one of the columns. In one version of the car a second diagonal bulkhead brace extends upward to the top chord from a location at an intermediate height on the bulkhead. The car may include inwardly sloping decks oriented normal to load bearing faces of the center beam, with the decks incorporating a unified structure of which a floor sheet is a load-carrying part and is supported by longitudinal stringer channels.

Abstract: A fully protective multi-unit railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles on two or three levels with the lowest level being in a cargo well between a pair of deep side sills. A pair of vehicle-carrying decks are adjustable in height and are counterbalanced against each other during adjustment of their locations. A roof structure is light in weight and constructed of corrugated sheet metal with a self-supporting central portion. The ends of the car are equipped with three-panel folding doors, and a flexible diaphragm closes the space between articulated adjacent car units supported by a shared truck. A modular brake operating system is mounted on the car body.

Abstract: A railroad freight car of the center beam type, in which the upright center beam has a top chord interconnected with a bulkhead at each end of the body of the car, and spaced-apart upright columns and diagonal structural members interconnect the top chord with the center sill of the car body. At each end of the center beam an upper end of a diagonal bulkhead brace included in the center beam is attached to the bulkhead at an intermediate height, and a lower end is attached to the center sill adjacent one of the columns. There is no solid plate extending from the top chord to the center sill and from the bulkhead toward the other end of the car. In one version of the car a second diagonal bulkhead brace extends upward from a location at an intermediate height on the bulkhead to the top chord.

Abstract: A railroad freight car including a cargo well for carrying optionally either intermodal cargo containers or highway semitrailers has a side sill structure including a deep rectangular top chord and a depending web, supporting a well floor structure. The well floor structure includes reinforcing longitudinal and transverse channel members and horizontal top and bottom plates attached to the channels. Large circular openings, aligned with one another, are defined in both the top and bottom plates, and a peripheral ring of vertical material interconnects the margins of the top and bottom plates around the openings. A reinforcing walkway structure is located atop each side sill at each end of the cargo well. In a multi-unit car adjacent car units are supported on a single shared wheeled truck.