A method of modification of a railcar which includes providing an existing railcar with a cold formed center sill; removing an upper portion of the railcar; Cutting and splicing the center sill; Forming an upper railcar body having top chord sections and a pair of end walls and side walls coupled to the top chord structure, wherein each sidewall includes a side sheet, a plurality of side stakes and side sill; Forming an underframe construction including the spliced center sill, bolsters configured to be above truck assemblies and coupled to the center sill and a plurality of lateral I-Beam cross bearers that extend from the center sill toward and stopping short of the inside of the side sheet, and wherein the cross bearers include vertical connection plates configures for coupling to side stakes which are positioned between the bolsters; and Coupling the upper body to the underframe.

A method of modification of a railcar which includes providing an existing railcar with a cold formed center sill; removing an upper portion of the railcar; Cutting and splicing the center sill; Forming an upper railcar body having top chord sections and a pair of end walls and side walls coupled to the top chord structure, wherein each sidewall includes a side sheet, a plurality of side stakes and side sill; Forming an underframe construction including the spliced center sill, bolsters configured to be above truck assemblies and coupled to the center sill and a plurality of lateral I-Beam cross bearers that extend from the center sill toward and stopping short of the inside of the side sheet, and wherein the cross bearers include vertical connection plates configures for coupling to side stakes which are positioned between the bolsters; and Coupling the upper body to the underframe.

A casting or casting components for a modification of a railcar includes at least one of i) a splice casting for a roll formed railcar center sill having a center section with the same profile as the exterior of the rolled formed railcar center sill with two end sections that telescope into the interior of spliced center sill sections, wherein the splice casting as a total weight is less than 100 LBS, and ii) a cast transition casting configured for positioning between a cold formed center sill and a draft arm of a railcar wherein the cast transition casting is less than 75 LBS.

A casting or casting components for a modification of a railcar includes at least one of i) a splice casting for a roll formed railcar center sill having a center section with the same profile as the exterior of the rolled formed railcar center sill with two end sections that telescope into the interior of spliced center sill sections, wherein the splice casting as a total weight is less than 100 LBS, and ii) a cast transition casting configured for positioning between a cold formed center sill and a draft arm of a railcar wherein the cast transition casting is less than 75 LBS.

An assembly-type car body and a rail vehicle. A roof, an underframe, side roofs and side walls of the assembly-type car body are separately formed by assembling double-layer pultruded profiles, and each double-layer pultruded profile comprises an outer plate, an inner plate and cavities formed by separating an interlayer between the outer plate and the inner plate using ribs; the upper edge and the lower edge of each side roof are respectively connected to an edge of the roof and the upper edge of a side wall by means of lapping joints, and the lower edge of each side wall is connected to an edge of the underframe by means of a side wall connector; each side wall connector is a double-layer pultruded profile unit, the upper edge of the side wall connector is connected to the lower edge of the side wall by a plug joint.

An assembly-type car body and a rail vehicle. A roof, an underframe, side roofs and side walls of the assembly-type car body are separately formed by assembling double-layer pultruded profiles, and each double-layer pultruded profile comprises an outer plate, an inner plate and cavities formed by separating an interlayer between the outer plate and the inner plate using ribs; the upper edge and the lower edge of each side roof are respectively connected to an edge of the roof and the upper edge of a side wall by means of lapping joints, and the lower edge of each side wall is connected to an edge of the underframe by means of a side wall connector; each side wall connector is a double-layer pultruded profile unit, the upper edge of the side wall connector is connected to the lower edge of the side wall by a plug joint.