Dropped deck center beam rail road car with shallow center sill

Abstract

A center beam rail road car has a center sill that runs along the car from end to end. The center sill is dog-legged, having end portions mounted over rail car trucks, and a downwardly stepped central portion between the trucks. A central beam assembly stands upwardly of the center sill. A lading supporting deck structure extends laterally to either side of the center sill. The deck structure has a depressed medial portion between the trucks, and raised end portions over the trucks. The deck portions have lading bearing interfaces. The medial portion of the center sill has a top flange that is carried at a height that lies flush with, or below, the level of the lading bearing interface of the medial portion of the center sill. In one embodiment, a column member for carrying buff and draft loads is spaced upwardly from the medial portion of the center sill. The car may be constructed in a version having a top truss, or having a top chord member that lies within the profile of vertical posts of the central beam assembly. In embodiments having a narrow top chord, the car may be provided with a top chord cover.

1 . A dropped deck center beam rail road car comprising: 
 a lading support structure carried on rail road car trucks for rolling motion along rail road tracks, said lading support structure having upstanding bulkheads mounted at opposite ends thereof, a laterally extending deck structure, and a central beam assembly standing upwardly of said laterally extending deck structure;    a coupler mounted at one of said ends of said lading support structure, said coupler having a coupler centerline height;    said deck structure having a pair of end portions and a medial portion, said end portions being stepped upwardly relative to said medial portion;    each of said end portions and said medial portion of said deck structure having lading bearing interfaces upon which lading can be placed;    said central beam assembly including a webwork assembly extending upwardly of said medial portion of said deck structure to a longitudinally extending top chord member; and    at least a portion of said web work assembly extending to a height lower than said lading bearing interface of one of said end portions of said deck structure.