Abstract: A tiedown winch for securing a load such as an automobile to a transporting vehicle such as a railroad car includes a housing slidable in a track carried by the transporting vehicle. A chain for securing the load is wound on a drum journalled in the top and bottom walls of the housing for rotation around a vertical axis. The housing includes end walls, each of which is provided with an opening so that the chain can extend from the housing in either direction. The openings are arranged tangentially with respect to the drum and are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the housing so that rotation of the drum in a single direction can wind the chain along a direct path through either opening. A locking bolt substantially shorter than the width of the housing is carried by one end wall to engage the track for retaining the winch at a selected position along the track.

Abstract: Means for providing protective cover walls on carrier racks used by the railroads to carry automotive vehicles, and including panel wall sections made up of lengths of corrugated sheet metal retained in overlapped and interlocked edge relation by channel sectioned members engaged over the ends thereof, and with clamping means for holding the channel sectioned members on the ends of said panel wall sections and the panel wall sections in turn therewith to the vertical frame members of the carrier racks.