Abstract: A railroad car is particularly constructed for transporting heavy elongated structures such as T and box girder prestressed concrete bridge beams. The railroad car has a frame including a planar top surface with first and second ends and sides, and railroad wheels mounting the frame for movement on rails. A number of lifting bladders are mounted on the top surface for lifting a beam to move it away from the top surface (e.g. to lift it above a number of wooden blocks supporting the beam). Stationarily mounted roller structures are provided adjacent each of the first and second ends, and movable rollers are provided for movement underneath a beam once lifted by the lifting bladders. A winch is also mounted adjacent each of the ends of the railroad car for pulling beams supported by the rollers along the car, and from one car to the next car to facilitate unloading of the beams (as with a crane) at a discharge site without having to move the railroad cars in a string.

Abstract: A deployable and retractable ramp assembly includes at least three Z-foldable ramp sections which are pivotally connected to each other and to a railroad car. A number of mechanical deployment and retraction facilitating elements--preferably gears--are mounted to the ramp sections and operatively connected to a plurality of actuators--preferably linear actuators such as hydraulic cylinders--mounted on and completely contained within ramp sections. Using a linear actuator on the railroad car the ramp sections, once folded, can be pivoted into a position substantially completely supported by the railroad car. The ramp sections (typically six in number and pivotally connected to a lever on the railroad car) may be automatically and positively deployed in less than twenty minutes, and once deployed allow railroad equipment to be moved to and from the railroad tracks.

Abstract: A deployable and retractable ramp assembly is mounted on a flatbed railroad car to allow railroad equipment to be moved to and from tracks. The ramp assembly comprises four ramp sections pivotally connected to each other and in a retracted position in a Z-folded configuration. Each ramp section comprises a pair of rectangular tubes or railroad rails spaced by cross-braces a distance equal to the spacing of wheels of a railroad car on the same axle. Two masts are pivotally connected to the railroad car and can be locked in a substantially upright position, with first and second sheaves on the top end of each mast engaging a cable connected to a winch. A third winch connected by a third cable to the ramp sections applies a restraining force to preclude the ramp sections from moving too quickly under the force of gravity once moved past center during deployment.