Abstract: The invention is a system for transporting highway vehicles on railway vehicles. It has rail cars positionable relative to one another at an angle of at least about 50 degrees. Each car has a deck for highway vehicles. The system has a railroad terminal with a first track with switch(es) connected to spur(s) so trucks supporting a first set of car ends may be kept on the first track, while a second set of trucks supporting a second set of car ends is placed on the spur(s). The rail cars are thereby placed in a zig-zag configuration. For each of the rail cars, a truck supporting one end remains on the first track while a truck supporting the other end is placed on a spur. A vector parallel to the direction of travel of a truck along the tracks supporting it has a vector component of at least about 0.

Abstract: System and method for loading and unloading highway vehicles for transportation over railroad lines. The system has a number of railroad vehicles, each having a deck for highway vehicles. The deck extends from a central portion of the vehicle to one or both ends of the railway vehicle. The invention includes a terminal which has at least one stationary railroad track portion which is connected to a railroad system outside of the terminal. The terminal also has number of moveable railroad track segments. These segments can be positioned in a first configuration in which they are aligned so that railroad vehicles can be rolled from one or more of the stationary railroad track segments onto the moveable railroad track segments.