Abstract: A railroad drive system for transporting, along a railroad track, a vehicle trailer having a front king pin and a rear king pin downwardly projecting from a lower surface thereof in vertically spaced relation above the railroad track includes a drive assembly having motorized wheels including a pair of differential axles. The drive assembly is carried on a support frame and operatively engages the railroad track and a front fifth wheel and a rear fifth wheel carried by said support frame and having a first position vertically below the lower surface of the trailer. A lifting assembly operatively selectively raises the front fifth wheel and the rear fifth wheel into coupled relationship with the king pins. An operator control station extends laterally outward of said support frame between said axles for operating the drive and lifting assemblies.

Abstract: An improved intermodal transport system combining trucking and railway technology for the transport of passengers and freight. The present system includes a so-called Super Rail Train which incorporates an automotive truck drive system and components in a fuel efficient power vehicle which replaces the conventional locomotive. The present system also includes a plurality of secondary power units having an automotive truck drive system which are operated only during peak load conditions. The present system features a self-powered tandem device which replaces the conventional railroad dolly or bogie used in the transport of highway semi-trailer containers by rail and permits movement of a partially assembled train without a switching engine. A further feature of the present invention provides a switching ramp which is installed at truck/train terminals to facilitate the efficient assembly and breakdown of the train upon arrival at a destination for rerouting semi-trailer containers to highway use.