Excavator railcar

Abstract

A railcar configured to transport a payload, the open-topped railcar including left and right sidewalls, forward and rear sidewalls, a left track, and a right track. The left and right sidewalls extend vertically from the floor and include upper edges. The forward and rear sidewalls extend vertically from the floor between the left and right sidewalls to form a payload bay. The left track is positioned near the left sidewall and spaced above the floor and below the upper edge of the left sidewall. The right track is positioned near the right sidewall and spaced above the floor and below the upper edge of the right sidewall. The left track and right track may include a number of pedestals spaced apart from each other and a number of ramps angled diagonally upward from some of the pedestals to upper edges of the forward and rear sidewalls. The left and right tracks are configured to support an independent material moving machine at least partially in the payload bay and/or between the left and right sidewalls.

1 . A railcar configured to transport a payload, the railcar comprising:
 forward and rearward truck assemblies including wheels configured to traverse a railroad track;   a frame extending between the forward and rearward truck assemblies for distributing a weight of the payload to the forward and rear truck assemblies;   a floor positioned on the frame and configured to provide lower support to the payload;   left and right sidewalls extending vertically from the floor, the left and right sidewalls including upper edges;   forward and rear sidewalls extending vertically from the floor between the left and right sidewalls to form a payload bay;   a left track near the left sidewall and spaced above the floor and below the upper edge of the left sidewall; and   a right track near the right sidewall and spaced above the floor and below the upper edge of the right sidewall,   the left and right tracks being configured to support an independent material moving machine at least partially in the payload bay.   
     
     
         2 . The railcar of  claim 1 , the left track and the right track each including a plurality of pedestals spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         3 . The railcar of  claim 2 , each of the plurality of pedestals including an upper surface positioned approximately halfway between the floor and the upper edges of the left and right sidewalls. 
     
     
         4 . The railcar of  claim 2 , each of the left track and the right track comprising a plurality of ramps extending diagonally upward from some of the plurality of pedestals toward the forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         5 . The railcar of  claim 4 , the forward and rear sidewalls including upper edges, the plurality of ramps extending diagonally upward to the upper edges of the forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         6 . The railcar of  claim 4 , the plurality of ramps including grips for engaging tracks, wheels, or tires of the independent material moving machine. 
     
     
         7 . The railcar of  claim 2 , the left and right tracks further including a plurality of vertically extending reinforcement legs integrated with the left and right sidewalls. 
     
     
         8 . The railcar of  claim 7 , some of the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track being laterally bridged between adjacent reinforcement legs. 
     
     
         9 . The railcar of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of external ribs for reinforcing the left and right sidewalls and forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         10 . The railcar of  claim 1 , the plurality of pedestals of the left track including left pedestals, the plurality of pedestals of the right track including right pedestals, each of the left pedestals being positioned directly laterally across from one of the right pedestals, and each of the right pedestals being positioned directly laterally across from one of the left pedestals. 
     
     
         11 . A railcar configured to transport a payload, the open-topped railcar comprising:
 forward and rearward truck assemblies including wheels configured to traverse a railroad track;   a frame extending between the forward and rearward truck assemblies for distributing a weight of the payload to the forward and rear truck assemblies;   a floor positioned on the frame and configured to provide lower support to the payload;   left and right sidewalls extending vertically from the floor;   forward and rear sidewalls extending vertically from the floor between the left and right sidewalls to form a payload bay;   a left track including a plurality of pedestals spaced above the floor near the left sidewall and spaced from each other; and   a right track including a plurality of pedestals spaced above the floor near the right sidewall and spaced from each other,   the left and right tracks being configured to support an independent material moving machine between the left and right sidewalls.   
     
     
         12 . The railcar of  claim 11 , left and right sidewalls including upper edges, the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track being positioned lower than the upper edges of the left and right sidewalls to support the independent material moving machine at least partially in the payload bay. 
     
     
         13 . The railcar of  claim 12 , each of the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track including an upper surface positioned approximately halfway between the floor and the upper edges of the left and right sidewalls. 
     
     
         14 . The railcar of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of ramps extending diagonally upward from some of the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track toward the forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         15 . The railcar of  claim 14 , the forward and rear sidewalls including upper edges, the plurality of ramps extending diagonally upward to the upper edges of the forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         16 . The railcar of  claim 14 , the plurality of ramps including grips for engaging tracks, wheels, or tires of the independent material moving machine. 
     
     
         17 . The railcar of  claim 11 , the left and right tracks further including vertically extending reinforcement legs integrated with the left and right sidewalls. 
     
     
         18 . The railcar of  claim 17 , some of the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track being laterally bridged between adjacent reinforcement legs. 
     
     
         19 . The railcar of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of external ribs for reinforcing the left and right sidewalls and forward and rear sidewalls. 
     
     
         20 . A railcar system comprising:
 a plurality of open-topped railcars each configured to transport a payload, each of the plurality of open-topped railcars comprising:
 forward and rearward truck assemblies including wheels configured to traverse a railroad track; 
 a frame extending between the forward and rearward truck assemblies for distributing a weight of the payload to the forward and rear truck assemblies; 
 a floor positioned on the frame and configured to provide lower support to the payload; 
 left and right sidewalls extending vertically from the floor; 
 forward and rear sidewalls extending vertically from the floor between the left and right sidewalls to form a payload bay; 
 a left track including a plurality of pedestals spaced above the floor near the left sidewall and spaced from each other; 
 a right track including a plurality of pedestals spaced above the floor near the right sidewall and spaced from each other; 
 a plurality of ramps extending diagonally upward from some of the plurality of pedestals of the left track and of the right track toward the forward and rear sidewalls; and 
 a plurality of material moving machines configured to be positioned at least partially in the payload bays and on the left and right tracks of some of the plurality of open-topped railcars and traverse between adjacent ones of the plurality of open-topped railcars via the plurality of ramps of the plurality of open-topped railcars.