Auto rack rail car with end closure

Abstract

An auto rack rail road car has a main deck and upper deck. It is provided with a door for controlling access thereto. The door is a radial arm door, and has a ladder mounted thereon by which personnel can ascend the second deck when the door is open. A second ladder is mounted to the first deck so that when the door is open the second ladder is positioned to cooperate with the first ladder. The arcuate path of the door is free from overhanging obstructions. The door also has internal and external weld-free stiffeners member for enhancing the rigidity thereof. A roller mounted to the door permits the door to be moved between open and closed positions. The door may further include a lock. A guide member protruding from the door co-operates with a groove in the main deck which slidingly guides the door as it moves between open and closed positions to control access to the car.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A radial arm door for an auto rack rail road car, said radial arm door having a ladder mounted thereto.  
     
     
         2 . An autorack rail road car comprising: 
 a rail car body having a first end, a second end, and at least a first deck for carrying automobiles, said first deck extending between said first and second ends;    said body having a non-folding door operable to control access to said rail road car; and    said door having a deck access apparatus mounted thereto by which personnel can ascend said second deck when said door is in an open position.    
     
     
         3 . The auto rack rail car of  claim 2  wherein said door has an external surface facing away from said decks, and said deck access apparatus includes footholds mounted to an external surface of said door.  
     
     
         4 . The auto rack rail car of  claim 2  wherein said door has an external surface facing away from said decks, and said deck access apparatus includes ladder rungs mounted to said external surface of said door.  
     
     
         5 . The auto rack rail car of  claim 2  wherein said deck access apparatus is a ladder.  
     
     
         6 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein said door is a radial arm door.  
     
     
         7 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein said car has a pair of said doors, said doors being movable to a mating, closed position, and at least one of said doors having a seal mounted thereto, said seal being engaged between said doors when said doors are in said closed position.  
     
     
         8 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 7  wherein said seal is an ‘O’-seal, and when said doors are closed said seal is compressed.  
     
     
         9 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein said door follows an arcuate track between open and closed positions.  
     
     
         10 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 9  wherein said door is supported on a first roller and a second roller, said first and second rollers are constrained to follow concentric paths, and said first roller has a first path radius, said second roller has a second path radius, and said first path radius is different from said second path radius.  
     
     
         11 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 10  wherein said first and second rollers each support a portion of the weight of said door during motion of said door between said open and closed positions.  
     
     
         12 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said rail road car has a pair of laterally spaced first and second longitudinally extending walls bounding said first and second decks, and a roof extending transversely between said walls to overspan said decks; said walls each having a top chord distant from said first deck; said roof extending to a greater height than said top chord;  
 said door follows an arcuate path relative to said first deck;  
 said door extending to a height greater than said top chord; and  
 said path of said door being free of overhanging structure.  
 
     
     
         13 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said door has a main sheet and an array of horizontal and vertical stiffeners;  
 said main sheet has a first side and a second side;  
 said horizontal stiffeners are mounted to said first side of said main sheet, and said vertical stiffeners are mounted to said second side of said main sheet.  
 
     
     
         14 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 13  wherein at least one of said stiffeners is mounted to said main sheet with mechanical fasteners.  
     
     
         15 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 13  wherein at least one of the vertical stiffeners is connected to at least one of the horizontal stiffeners by a mechanical fastening through the main sheet.  
     
     
         16 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said rail road car has a longitudinal centerline lying in a central vertical plane;  
 said door is supported on at least first and second rollers;  
 said first roller bears at least as great a portion of said door as any other roller supporting said door;  
 said door is mounted to move angularly through an arc centered about an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation being offset laterally from said central vertical plane;  
 said door being movable to a closed position, and, in said closed position said first roller being positioned closer to said central vertical plane than said axis of rotation.  
 
     
     
         17 . The autorack railroad car of  claim 16  wherein said first roller has an axis of rotation and said axis of rotation of said first roller intersects said axis of rotation of said door.  
     
     
         18 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 16  wherein said door is a radial arm door having an arcuate portion and a tangential portion, and said first roller is mounted to said tangential portion of said door.  
     
     
         19 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 2  wherein said first deck has a guideway and said door has a guide follower mounted to engage said guideway.  
     
     
         20 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 19  wherein said guideway is slot formed in said first deck, and said guide follower is a member extending downwardly from said door into said slot.  
     
     
         21 . The autorack rail road car of  claim 20  wherein said deck is greater than ¾ inches in thickness.  
     
     
         22 . The auto rack rail car of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said deck access apparatus is a first ladder mounted to said door;    a second ladder is mounted to said first deck; and    when said door is in said open position said first ladder is positioned to co-operate with said second ladder.    
     
     
         23 . The auto rack rail car of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said door is a radial arm door having, when closed, an outboard arcuate portion and an inboard tangential portion;    said deck access apparatus is a first ladder mounted to said door; and    said ladder is mounted to said tangential portion.    
     
     
         24 . An autorack rail road car having: 
 a first deck upon which to carry wheeled vehicles, and a housing structure extending upwardly of said deck to define a space in which to shelter wheeled vehicles;    said housing structure having a top chord distant from said deck, and a roof overspanning said first deck, said roof rising to a greater height than said top chord;    at least a first pair of radial arm doors operable to control access to said autorack rail road car;    at least a first of said radial arm doors being movable through an arcuate path relative to said first deck, said first of said radial arm doors extending to a height greater than said top chord; and    said path of said first door being free of overhanging obstructions.