Thrall Car Manufacturing Company

Other

Shaun Richmond

Richard D Curtis

Richard E Jamrozy

James J Schuller

Charles T Carter

An articulated railroad car for carrying container or trailer loads providing for improved weight distribution among all the trucks, comprising a forward end car unit, a rearward end car unit, a plurality of interior car units substantially linearly and adjacently disposed between the forward and rearward car units. Between each adjacent pair of car units, the car has a shared truck having axles for supporting one end of one car unit and one end of the other car unit. A central shared truck is centrally located along the length of the railroad car. Articulated connectors on the shared trucks join the interior car units to one another and to the end car units, and a hitch for a kingpin on each of the car units is placed over the truck associated with the car unit which is farther from the central truck, to facilitate relatively even load distribution among all the trucks.

Articulated, low level railroad spine car with overlapping kingpin

Railroad car for transporting transversely oriented cylindrical objects. The cargo bed of the car projects downwardly through the draft sills, interrupting the draft sills. The car has one or more troughs defined by pairs of facing cylindrical object support members. The support members at the front and rear of the car also transmit loads from the draft sills downwardly to lower longitudinal members which bridge between the respective draft sills. Also, a telescoping cover for a railroad car which covers the entire cargo bed during transport, and uncovers the entire cargo area at once without removing the covers from the car. Thus the entire car can be loaded or unloaded without shifting the covers. The front sections and rear sections of the cover telescope independently to the front and rear of the car, thus allowing the entire cover to be positioned outboard of the cargo bed when open while remaining on track means associated with the car. Removable one-piece and two-piece covers are also disclosed.

Railroad cars for transporting cylindrical objects transversely with

Center beam railroad car having a top chord, a parallel center sill below the top chord, columns joining the top chord and center sill, and diagonal tension members connecting the upper joint between one column and the top chord to the lower joint between another column and the center sill. In one embodiment, the tension member is pivotally secured at each end to the respective upper and lower joints, preventing fatigue failure of the tension member where it is secured to the joints. In another embodiment, at least one end of the tension member is secured to a joint between one end of a column and the center sill or top chord only after the joints are defined by assembling and joining the top chord, center sill, and columns. This method allows the tension members to be installed and to function substantially without tension in the unloaded, unused car and to accept tension loads when the car is loaded and operated.

Light weight center beam railroad cars with pinned connections

An articulated railroad car, which includes an articulated connector, rail truck and car body units, has at least one standard short-travel railroad car side bearing which is designed to permit down travel of the car body unit of at least 5/8 inch. In a preferred embodiment, one rail truck portion includes a long-travel railroad car side bearing. The long-travel side bearing includes a top cap member and a bottom member with a resilient member interposed therebetween. The long-travel side bearing permits roll axis movement of one car body unit relative to another car body unit to reduce forces on the rail truck which would tend to prevent its successful negotiation of curves.

Long-travel side bearing for an articulated railroad car

A railroad car, for carrying shipping containers, having a car body with opposing side walls and an end wall near each end defining a well in which a container can be received; support for a container, when in the well, comprising a plurality of spaced metal reinforcing elements or castings joined to each side wall and spaced inwardly from the well end walls; and each casting being substantially L-shaped and having a substantially vertical leg joined at the bottom of a side wall and the casting having an arm extending laterally substantially horizontally inwardly toward the center of the car to aid in supporting a container in the well.

Container carrying railroad car with improved support system

A gondola railway car includes a pair of draft sills and a pair of end panels extending downwardly and terminating in a flat edge portion. The flat edge portion of the end panel is connected to a shear plate by a welded connection. A shed plate is included between the side panel and the shear plate. A support bracket is included between the tub and the draft sill. Gussets are attached between the side panels and the shear plate. A top corner cap is connected to the side top chord by a welded connection and to an end top chord by a bolted connection.

Drop center gondola car

A railroad car, for carrying shipping containers, having a car body with opposing side walls and an end wall near each end defining a well in which a container can be received; support for a container, when in the well, comprising a plurality of spaced metal castings joined to each side wall and spaced inwardly from the well end walls; and each casting being substantially L-shaped and having a substantially vertical leg joined at the bottom of a side wall and the casting having an arm extending laterally substantially horizontally inwardly toward the center of the car to aid in supporting a container in the well.

Growing community of inventors

Orland Park, IL, United States of America

Shaun Richmond