Dropped deck center beam rail road car structure

Abstract

A center beam car has a main deck structure extending laterally from a main center sill, a laterally extending top truss structure, and a central vertically oriented central beam structure. The center beam so formed defines bunks upon which to carry cargo. The upper region of the web-work structure includes a top chord mounted to run between two end bulkheads. The deck has a central portion and end portions. The end portions of the deck are carried at a greater height than the center portion, the difference in height corresponding to the height of a bundle of lumber. The car has a center sill having a depth corresponding to the depth of the step in the deck. The end portion of the center sill has an internal plate defining a draft gear pocket upper wall. The medial portion of the center sill is narrower than the end portion, and of deep section, such that it has a high aspect ratio. Web separators are mounted in the medial portion of the center sill by a method that includes making part of the weld from outside the center sill through welding apertures. As the end deck is carried at a high level, the bolster is abnormally deep.

1. A center beam rail road car comprising:
 a deck structure supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;  
 said deck structure including a pair of first and second end portions, and a medial portion carried between said end portions, said medial portion being stepped downwardly relative to said end portions;  
 a center sill running along said deck structure;  
 said center sill having a first center sill end portion, said center sill end portion having an upper flange and a pair of spaced apart webs extending downwardly from said upper flange;  
 a central beam assembly running lengthwise along said rail road car between said end portions, said beam assembly standing upwardly of said deck structure;  
 said first end portion of said deck structure including an end portion deck sheet; and  
 a draft pocket cap plate mounted within said first center sill end portion between said pair of spaced apart webs, said draft pocket cap plate lying at a lower level than said end portion deck sheet, whereby a draft pocket is defined between said pair of webs and below said draft pocket cap plate.  
 
     
     
       2. The center beam rail road car of  claim 1  wherein a first bolster extends laterally from said center sill to support said first end portion of said deck structure, said bolster having a upper flange extending in a plane lying at a greater height from top of rail than said draft pocket cap plate. 
     
     
       3. The center beam rail road car of  claim 1  wherein:
 said center sill has a central portion adjacent to said medial portion of said deck structure and first and second end portions adjacent to said first and second end portions of said deck structure;  
 said central portion of said center sill has an upper flange, a pair of spaced apart webs extending downwardly from said upper flange and a lower flange mounted to said webs, said upper flange, said lower flange and said webs of said center sills defining a hollow box beam;  
 said medial portion of said deck structure has a deck sheet; and  
 said lower flange of said central portion of said center sill is mounted at a level corresponding to said deck sheet of said medial portion of said deck structure.  
 
     
     
       4. The center beam car of  claim 3  wherein said center sill has a depth of section between said upper flange and said bottom flange of at least 30 inches. 
     
     
       5. The center beam car of  claim 1  wherein:
 side sills extend along either side of said deck structure;  
 said side sills each have a medial portion running along said medial portion of said deck structure, and first and second end portions running along said first and second end portions of said deck structure; and  
 said end portions of said side sills have a greater depth of section than said medial portions of said side sills.  
 
     
     
       6. The center beam car of  claim 1  wherein said upper flange of said first end portion of said center sill is mounted more than 42 inches above top of rail. 
     
     
       7. The center beam car of  claim 1  wherein said deck sheet of said first end portion of said deck structure is mounted to said upper flange of said first end portion of said center sill, said sheet extending laterally outboard from said center sill. 
     
     
       8. The center beam car of  claim 1  wherein a bolster extends laterally from said center sill above one of said trucks, and said bolster has an upper flange mounted flush with said upper flange of said end portion of said center sill. 
     
     
       9. The center beam car of  claim 8  wherein said medial portion of said deck has a lading interface upon which lading can be carried, and said upper flange of said bolster is mounted at least 30 inches higher than said lading interface of said medial portion of said deck structure. 
     
     
       10. The center beam rail road car of  claim 1  wherein said medial portion of said deck structure is stepped downward a distance of at least 30 inches relative to said end portions. 
     
     
       11. A center beam rail road car comprising:
 a deck structure carried on railcar trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction, a pair of first and second bulkheads extending upwardly of said deck structure at either end thereof, and a central beam assembly standing upwardly of said deck structure and running lengthwise along said deck structure between said bulkheads;  
 said deck structure being supported by a center sill, said center sill having a first, longitudinally outboard portion located longitudinally outboard of one of said trucks, and a second, longitudinally inboard portion located between said rail car trucks;  
 said second portion being narrower than said first portion;  
 said first, longitudinally outboard portion of said center sill having members defining a draft pocket therein, and said first, longitudinally outboard portion of said center sill having an overall height greater than said draft pocket,  
 said deck structure including first and second end portions and a medial portion between said first and second end portions, said medial portion being stepped downwardly relative to said end portions by a distance of at least 30 inches; and  
 said medial portion of said deck structure being supported from said longitudinally inboard portion of said center sill, and a first of said end portions of said deck being supported from said longitudinally outboard portion of said center sill.  
 
     
     
       12. The center beam rail road car of  claim 11  wherein:
 said first portion of said center sill includes a first pair of spaced apart webs;  
 said second portion includes a second pair of spaced apart webs;  
 said first portion has a first width measured across said first pair of webs;  
 said second portion has a second width measured across said second pair of webs; and  
 said second width is less than said first width.  
 
     
     
       13. The center beam rail road car of  claim 11  wherein said center sill includes a third portion between said first and second portions, and said third portion tapers from said first portion to said second portion. 
     
     
       14. The center beam rail road car of  claim 11  wherein said second portion of said center sill has a greater depth than said first portion of said center sill. 
     
     
       15. The center beam rail road car of  claim 11  wherein said second portion has a height and a width, and the ratio of said height to said width is greater than is greater than 2:1. 
     
     
       16. The center beam rail road car of  claim 15  wherein said ratio lies in the range of 3.0:1 to 5.0:1. 
     
     
       17. The center beam rail road car of  claim 15  wherein said ratio is about 3.4:1. 
     
     
       18. The center beam car of  claim 11  wherein said first portion has a height and a width, and the ratio of said height to said width is greater than 1:1. 
     
     
       19. The center beam rail road car of  claim 18  wherein said ratio is in the range of 1.5:1 to 3.0:1. 
     
     
       20. The center beam rail road car of  claim 18  wherein said ratio is about 2.0:1. 
     
     
       21. A center beam rail road car comprising:
 a deck structure carried on railcar trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction, and a central beam assembly standing upwardly of said deck structure and running lengthwise along said deck;  
 said deck structure being supported by a center sill,  
 said center sill having a first portion mounted between said trucks, said first portion having a flange and two spaced apart webs extending away from said flange;  
 said first portion having a hollow section bounded by said flange and said spaced apart webs;  
 said first portion having a height and a width, said height being greater than said width;  
 said center sill having at least one internal web member for maintaining said two spaced apart webs in position relative to each other, said internal web member being mounted within said hollow section between said two spaced apart webs;  
 said internal web member being mounted transversely relative to said longitudinal direction; and  
 said center sill having a welding aperture formed therein, said welding aperture permitting at least a portion of said internal web member to be welded in place from outside said center sill.  
 
     
     
       22. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein said web member has a flange mounted along an edge thereof, said apertures each have a periphery, said flange is mounted next to said welding apertures, and said flange is welded to said center sill at a weld formed along at least a portion of the periphery of at least one of said apertures. 
     
     
       23. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein the ratio of said height to said width is greater than 2.0:1. 
     
     
       24. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein the ratio of said height to said width is greater than 3.0:1. 
     
     
       25. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein said decking structure includes a first portion mounted above one of said trucks, and a second portion mounted between said trucks, and said second portion of said decking structure is stepped downward relative to said first portion. 
     
     
       26. The center beam rail road car of  claim 25  wherein said first portion of said center sill stands upwardly of said second portion of said decking structure. 
     
     
       27. The center beam rail road car of  claim 26  wherein said second portion of said decking structure includes a lading supporting surface lying laterally outboard of said first portion of said center sill. 
     
     
       28. A center beam rail road car comprising:
 a deck structure supported on rail car trucks, said deck structure having first and second end portions and a medial portion lying between said first and second end portions, said medial portion being stepped downward relative to said end portions;  
 a central beam assembly running lengthwise along said rail road car between said end portions, said beam assembly standing upwardly of said deck structure; and  
 said medial portion being stepped downward relative to said end portions by a distance of at least 30 inches;  
 said deck structure is supported by a center sill,  
 said center sill has a first portion mounted between said trucks, said first portion having a height and a width, said height being greater than said width;  
 said center sill has at least one internal web mounted therewithin;  
 said web is a first web;  
 said central beam assembly includes at least one post standing upwardly of said center sill, said post having a second web standing cross-wise relative to the lengthwise direction of said rail road car; and  
 said first web is positioned to provide web continuity with said second web.  
 
     
     
       29. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein said first and second webs are co-planar. 
     
     
       30. The center beam rail road car of  claim 21  wherein said internal web is a first web, said decking structure includes at least one cross bearer extending laterally to either side of said center sill, and said cross bearer has a second web, and said first and second webs are co-planar. 
     
     
       31. The center beam rail road car of  claim 30  wherein said cross-bearer is underslung relative to said center sill. 
     
     
       32. The center beam rail road car of  claim 36  wherein the ratio of said height to said width is at least 2.0:1. 
     
     
       33. The center beam rail road car of  claim 36  wherein the ratio of said height to said width is greater than 3.0:1. 
     
     
       34. A center beam rail road car comprising:
 a deck structure having first and second end portions and a medial portion lying between said first and second end portions, said medial portion being stepped downward relative to said end portions;  
 first and second end bulkheads extending upwardly from opposite ends of said deck structure;  
 a central vertical beam assembly running lengthwise along said rail road car between said bulkheads, said beam assembly including a center sill, a top chord spaced upwardly from said center sill, and posts extending upwardly of said deck structure, said posts connecting said center sill and said top chord;  
 said first end portion of said deck structure having a first end deck sheet;  
 said center sill having a first center sill end portion, said center sill end portion having an upper flange and a pair of spaced apart webs extending downwardly from said upper flange;  
 a draft pocket cap plate mounted within said first center sill end portion between said pair of spaced apart webs, said draft pocket cap plate lying at a lower level than said deck sheet; and  
 a draft pocket defined between said pair of webs and below said draft pocket cap plate.  
 
     
     
       35. The center beam rail road car of  claim 34  wherein a first bolster extends laterally from said main sill to support said first end portion of said deck structure, said bolster having an upper flange extending in a plane lying at a greater height from top of rail than said draft pocket cap plate. 
     
     
       36. The center beam rail road car of  claim 34  wherein:
 said center sill has a central portion adjacent to said medial portion of said decking structure and first and second end portions adjacent to said first and second end portions of said decking structure;  
 said central portion of said center sill has an upper flange, a pair of spaced apart webs extending downwardly from said upper flange and a lower flange mounted to said webs, said upper flange, said lower flange and said webs of said center sill defining a hollow box beam;  
 said medial portion of said deck structure has a deck sheet; and  
 said lower flange of said central portion of said center sill is mounted at a level corresponding to said deck sheet of said medial portion of said decking structure.  
 
     
     
       37. The center beam car of  claim 36  wherein said center sill has a depth of section between said upper flange and said bottom flange of at least 30 inches. 
     
     
       38. The center beam car of  claim 34  wherein:
 side sills extend along either side of said deck structure;  
 said side sills each have a medial portion running along said medial portion of said deck structure, and first and second end portions running along said first and second end portions of said deck structure; and  
 said end portions of said side sills have a greater depth of section than said medial portions of said side sills.