Method of repurposing small cube covered hopper railcars and modified railcars formed thereby

Abstract

A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar can be described as comprising the steps of i) providing an existing small cube covered hopper donor railcar supported on a pair of trucks; ii) removing a donor car floor construction including hopper discharge gates, and the outside hopper sheets, lower hopper floor and the partition floor forming the hopper chutes of the donor railcar; iii) forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes one of a) triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, b) dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction, c) flat bottom gondola floor construction, d) dual hopper ballast car floor construction, and e) twin hopper taconite ore car floor construction, and iv) attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar can be described as comprising the steps of
 i) providing an existing small cube covered hopper donor railcar supported on a pair of trucks;   ii) removing a donor car floor construction including hopper discharge gates, and the outside hopper sheets, lower hopper floor and the partition floor forming the hopper chutes of the donor railcar;   iii) forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes one of a) triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, b) dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction, c) flat bottom gondola floor construction, d) dual hopper ballast car floor construction, and e) twin hopper taconite ore car floor construction, and   iv) attaching the floor construction to the car to form the modified railcar.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a triple hopper transverse door floor construction. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the doors of a door system of the triple hoppers are independently operated. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of attaching the floor construction to the car utilizes at least a portion of a donor car center partition. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the floor construction is formed of a stainless steel or a copper containing steel construction or copper bearing steel construction. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction forms hopper chutes that are steeper than in the donor cars. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein a front two and a back two doors in the dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction can be independently operated. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a flat bottom gondola floor construction. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein in the step of attaching the floor construction to the car the flat bottom gondola floor construction is coupled to the sidewalls and to the bolster web of the donor car to form the modified flat bottom gondola railcar. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the bolster web becomes part of the elements defining the interior laden carrying space in the modified railcar. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a dual hopper ballast car floor construction. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a twin hopper taconite ore car floor construction. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the modified railcar utilizes a covered roof. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of attaching the floor construction to the car utilizes at least a portion of a donor car center partition, and wherein the floor construction is formed of a stainless steel or a copper containing steel construction or copper bearing steel construction. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of attaching the floor construction to the car utilizes at least a portion of a donor car center partition, and wherein the modified railcar utilizes a covered roof. 
     
     
         17 . The modified railcar formed according to the method of  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, and wherein the step of attaching the floor construction to the car utilizes at least a portion of a donor car center partition. 
     
     
         18 . The modified railcar formed according to the method of  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a dual hopper independent longitudinal door floor construction, and wherein the modified railcar utilizes a covered roof. 
     
     
         19 . The modified railcar formed according to the method of  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a floor construction of the modified railcar which includes forming a triple hopper independent transverse door floor construction, and wherein the modified railcar utilizes a covered roof. 
     
     
         20 . The railcar formed according to the method of  claim 1 .