An improved coupler for a tongue on a towed vehicle that attaches to a tow hook mounted on a towing vehicle to either pull the towed vehicle over a road or to pull the towed vehicle located on an elevated surface. The coupler includes an elongated tongue tube attached to the end of the tongue attached to the towed vehicle. Upper and lower rings are axially aligned and mounted or attached to the front surface of the tongue tube. The rings are spaced apart on the tongue tube to allow the towing vehicle pull or push the towed vehicle over the same roadway or over an elevated surface. Brackets are used between the tongue tube and the trailer tongue to prevent compression, collapse, and prevent fore to aft or aft to fore movements. An adjustable jack is attached to the side of the tongue tube. An optional lid is provided over the top opening of the tongue tube that covers a storage compartment inside the tongue tube. An optional chock holder plate and a pair of compatible chocks may be placed inside the storage compartment.

An underfloor device includes first and second closed portions. The outer surfaces of the first and second closed portions form a portion of a housing. A portion of the outer surfaces of the first and second closed portions are in contact with an open portion that is a space extending into a vertical direction from an opening formed on the vertically top face of the housing. The portion of the outer surface of the first closed portion in contact with the open portion and the portion of the outer portion of the second closed portion in contact with the open portion are provided with a first connection port and a second connection port, respectively. A first outfitting cable and a second outfitting cable are to be passed through the opening and the open portion, and respectively through the first connection port and the second connection port.

A railroad freight car coupling system utilizing purely mechanical cushioning assemblies at opposed ends of the car. Each cushioning assembly includes an elongated draft gear assembly including two individually operable and axially spaced assemblies for absorbing both buff and draft forces. Each draft gear assembly includes an axially elongated and hollow metal housing with a first open end and a second open end disposed in longitudinally spaced relation relative to each other. The draft gear assembly is provided with first and second spring biased assemblies at opposed open ends of the housing for absorbing, storing and returning energy directed against a railroad freight car with which the draft gear assembly is arranged in operable combination.

A railroad freight car coupling system utilizing purely mechanical cushioning assemblies at opposed ends of the car. Each cushioning assembly includes an elongated draft gear assembly including two individually operable and axially spaced assemblies for absorbing both buff and draft forces. Each draft gear assembly includes an axially elongated and hollow metal housing with a first open end and a second open end disposed in longitudinally spaced relation relative to each other. The draft gear assembly is provided with first and second spring biased assemblies at opposed open ends of the housing for absorbing, storing and returning energy directed against a railroad freight car with which the draft gear assembly is arranged in operable combination.

Systems for monitoring brake systems on railway assets include a load measuring device. The load measuring device includes an instrumented coupling configured to be connected to the rigging of a brake system of the railway asset; and to an underframe of the railway asset. The load measuring device also includes a data collection unit configured to process an output of a sensor of the instrumented coupling and, based on the sensor output, determine the force being transmitted between the brake rigging and the underframe.

A fixture for bonding films to an object includes a base, a cavity wall fixed to the base, and a receiving cavity defined by the cavity wall and the base. The cavity wall includes opposing inner and outer surfaces and an end surface at an end away from the base. The end surface defines protrusions interconnecting with recesses and being recessed towards the base. Each recess penetrates the inner surface and the outer surface. A method for employing the device is also provided. The fixture and the method for bonding avoid center wrapping after bonding.

A block, towing system, and a method for towing rail cars is provided. The block includes a first channel, a second channel, a third channel and a fourth channel. The first channel is located on a first side of the block. The second channel is located adjacent to the first channel on the first side of the block. The third channel is located on an opposite side of the block from the first channel. The fourth channel is located adjacent to the third channel on the opposite side of the block from the second channel.

A block, towing system, and a method for towing rail cars is provided. The block includes a first channel, a second channel, a third channel and a fourth channel. The first channel is located on a first side of the block. The second channel is located adjacent to the first channel on the first side of the block. The third channel is located on an opposite side of the block from the first channel. The fourth channel is located adjacent to the third channel on the opposite side of the block from the second channel.

A transport vehicle includes a container for receiving bulk material which is disposed on a vehicle frame and is pivoted, together with a bottom conveyor belt and a third conveyor belt, relative to the vehicle frame about a pivot axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle in order to maintain a horizontal conveying plane, relative to a transverse direction of the vehicle, for the bottom conveyor belt and the third conveyor belt, independently of a transverse inclination of the track. Thus, a problem-free bulk material transport is possible even in the event of a transverse inclination of the track. A method of loading and unloading a transport vehicle which is mobile on a track is also provided.

A terminal is designed with a railcar staging area and a railcar transfer apparatus, the railcar transfer apparatus configured to move a railcar to and/or from railcar staging area. The terminal may be further designed with a terminal building where the railcar transfer apparatus is configured to move the railcar between the terminal building and the staging area. The staging area may be provided as two staging areas where the railcar transfer apparatus is configured to move the railcar between two staging areas. The railcar transfer apparatus may include automated railcar transfer device, bridge and shuttle.