Railroad Car for Carrying Motor Vehicles

Abstract

A fully protective railroad freight car for carrying motor vehicles in a selected one of a bi-level or a tri-level configuration, with the lowest level including a depressed longitudinally central portion between body bolsters of the underbody, which may be a low-level flat car. A pair of vehicle-carrying decks are adjustable in height to provide for either one or two vehicle-carrying levels above the lowest level, while also providing at least a prescribed amount of vertical clearance above each vehicle-carrying deck. Ramps may be provided on the lowest level at an end of the car to provide a wheel-supporting surface having a prescribed minimum height. A roof structure is light in weight, and the car has an overall height not exceeding a prescribed limit for operation on most rail lines. The ends of the car are equipped with three-panel folding doors.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . An auto rack railcar, comprising:
 (a) an underbody including a draft gear housing at a first end of the railcar, the draft gear housing extending longitudinally with respect to the underbody over a first distance from the first end of the car and having a pair of opposite lateral sides;   (b) a bottom vehicle-carrying deck having a car end portion which extends alongside at least a portion of said draft gear housing along each of said lateral sides thereof;   (c) a superstructure carried on said underbody and extending upwardly therefrom, the superstructure including a plurality of upstanding side posts and an intermediate vehicle-carrying deck and an upper vehicle-carrying deck each attached to and supported by the side posts in a selected one of at least two available configurations including a bi-level configuration and a tri-level configuration;   (d) a roof included in the superstructure and supported by the side posts and defining an overall car height above TOR; and wherein   (e) when the auto rack railcar is in the tri-level configuration there are a pair of ramps, each respective one of said ramps being located on said bottom vehicle-carrying deck, alongside a respective one of said lateral sides of said draft gear housing, each of said ramps having a respective upper wheel-supporting surface located at a ramp top height that is lower than said first said height, and wherein there is at least a predetermined first vertical clearance height between said upper wheel-supporting surface and a bottom surface of said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck; and wherein   (f) when said auto rack railcar is in said bi-level configuration said bottom surface of said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck is located at a greater height than when said auto rack railcar is in said tri-level configuration, and there is at least a predetermined second vertical clearance height above said bottom vehicle-carrying deck.   
     
     
         2 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 1  wherein said underbody has a pair of body bolsters and a pair of deep side sills extending between said pair of body bolsters and wherein a portion of said bottom vehicle-carrying deck between said body bolsters is located between said side sills and at a lower height than a height of said car end portion of said bottom vehicle-carrying deck. 
     
     
         3 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 1  wherein said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck and said upper vehicle-carrying deck are located closely adjacent each other when said auto rack railcar is in said bi-level configuration and wherein each of said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck and said upper vehicle-carrying deck has a respective camber, and wherein said camber of said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck has a radius of curvature in a transverse plane with respect to .said auto rack car that is greater than a radius of curvature of the camber of said upper vehicle-carrying deck. 
     
     
         4 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 1  wherein said upper wheel supporting surface of one of said pair of ramps is located at a height within a range of 37 ½ inches to 43 ½ inches above the TOR at a location adjacent said end of said railcar when said railcar is in said tri-level configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 1  wherein said first vertical clearance height between said upper wheel-supporting surface of a respective one of said ramps and said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck is at least 54 inches, and wherein second vertical clearance height between a vehicle wheel supporting surface of said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck and said upper vehicle-carrying deck is at least about 61% inches, and wherein there is at least about 65% inches vertical clearance above a vehicle wheel supporting surface of said upper vehicle-carrying deck within said auto rack railcar and beneath said roof when said car is in said tri-level configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 1  wherein said draft gear housing has a top surface located at a first height above TOR and said car end portion of said bottom vehicle-carrying deck is at a second height that is lower than said first height. 
     
     
         7 . An auto rack railcar, comprising:
 (a) an underbody including a draft gear housing located centrally of a width of the railcar at an end of the railcar, said draft gear housing having a pair of opposite lateral sides;   (b) a bottom vehicle-carrying deck having a car end portion adjacent said end of the car and laterally alongside said draft gear housing;   (c) a roof having an upper surface determining an overall height of the railcar that is no greater than a prescribed height above TOR;   (d) an intermediate vehicle-carrying deck supported at an adjustable height above said bottom vehicle-carrying deck and movable to place said railcar into a selected one of a bi-level or a tri-level configuration;   (e) an upper vehicle-carrying deck, said upper vehicle-carrying deck being supported at an adjustable height above said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck to place said railcar into a selected one of a bi-level or a tri-level configuration; and wherein   (f) minimum prescribed vertical clearance heights are available above each of said vehicle-carrying decks when said railcar is in said tri-level configuration and above said bottom deck and said upper vehicle-carrying deck when said auto rack car is in said bi-level configuration; and also including   (g) a respective vehicle wheel-supporting ramp located on said bottom vehicle-carrying deck along each lateral side of the draft gear housing when the auto rack railcar is in the tri-level configuration, an upper surface of the wheel-supporting ramp being within a prescribed range of heights above TOR for an end of an auto rack railcar in a tri-level configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 7  wherein said prescribed overall height is 19 feet. 
     
     
         9 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 7  wherein when said railcar is in said bi-level configuration the intermediate vehicle-carrying deck and the upper vehicle-carrying deck are supported closely adjacent one another and an upper vehicle wheel-supporting surface of the upper vehicle-carrying deck is within a prescribed range of heights above TOR at a prescribed lateral distance from a longitudinal center plane of the railcar at an end of the railcar. 
     
     
         10 . An auto rack railcar convertible between a bi-level configuration and a tri-level configuration, comprising:
 (a) a flat car having a respective draft gear housing at each of a pair of opposite ends;   (b) a bottom vehicle-carrying deck having a portion located alongside each said draft gear housing on each lateral side thereof, a portion of said bottom vehicle-carrying deck adjacent each end of said railcar having a first height and a portion of said bottom vehicle-carrying deck in a mid-length portion of said railcar having a second height that is lower than said first height;   (c) a pair of longitudinally-extending upright opposite side wall assemblies, each including a plurality of upstanding side posts supported by and extending upward from respective opposite sides of said flat car;   (d) a roof assembly supported by said side wall assemblies and extending laterally across said railcar between said side wall assemblies;   (e) an upper vehicle-carrying deck attached to said side posts in a selected one of a location defined by a bi-level configuration and a location defined by a tri-level configuration of said railcar; and   (f) an intermediate vehicle-carrying deck attached to said side posts in a selected one of a location defined by said bi-level configuration and a location defined by said tri-level configuration, said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck including a mid-length portion and an end portion interconnected with the mid-length portion and movable to a raised, inclined position providing a predetermined increased clearance beneath said end portion at one of said ends of said railcar when said railcar is in said tri-level configuration, said end portion being disconnected from said mid-length portion and moved longitudinally of said mid-length portion, and a part of said end portion being located between said mid-length portion and said upper vehicle-carrying deck when said railcar is in said bi-level configuration.   
     
     
         11 . The auto rack railcar of  claim 10  including a ramp located alongside said draft gear housing and having an upper vehicle wheel-supporting surface located at a prescribed height above TOR, said auto rack railcar having a prescribed clearance above said upper vehicle wheel-supporting surface and below said intermediate vehicle-carrying deck when said railcar is in said tri-level configuration, and said auto rack railcar having an overall height no greater than a prescribed maximum for AAR Plate J service.