A convertible trailer for road and rail operation has four rail wheels and two road wheels. Each road wheel is within a road wheel assembly which connects to a main pivot or axle on the trailer, around which the entire assembly can rotate and thereby separating the road wheels from direct connection to the trailer. A lift, which may be motorized or hand controlled, raises and lowers the entire trailer by raising or lowering a foot which engages with the ground. When raised sufficiently and a locking mechanism disengaged, the road wheel assemblies may pivot on the pivot or axle. This pivoting allows the wheels to be locked in high position out of the way for rail operation. With the road wheels disengaged, the trailer may be lowered allowing the rail wheels to contact rails for railway operation.

A system for recharging a railcar air-brake system for a road-rail vehicle, including a rail-capable material handler, adapted or modified for transporting an at least one railcar that permits an air compression system to provide a near-constant low-volume airflow to recharge the respective air-brake systems without requiring the road-rail vehicle to be driven. The system can generally comprise a hydraulic pump, an air compressor, and at least one railcar air-brake system. The system can be adapted for recharging railcar air-brake systems for a road-rail vehicle adapted for transporting at least two railcars that does not significantly diminish the utility of the road-rail vehicle.

Disclosed herein is a railcar-moving vehicle having a highway mode for operation on roadways, and a rail mode for operation on rails. The railcar-moving vehicle including a support system, at least one drive axle with rubber tried drive wheels, and at least one pair of steering tires and two spaced apart rail bogies suspended by the support system. The railcar-moving vehicle including a weighted sled frame slidably mounted to the support system, the sled frame translatable between the front end and the rear end of the support system for optimizing weight distribution for increasing traction by the bogies when in rail mode. The bogies retained in an elevated and stowed position during highway mode and in a lowered position when in rail mode.

A rail gear assembly includes a base, a first wheel arm, and a second wheel arm. The first wheel arm may have a first end pivotally coupled to the base at a first arm connection and may have a second end rotatably connected to a first wheel by a first axle. The second wheel arm may have a first end pivotally coupled to the base at a second arm connection and a second end rotatably connected to a second wheel by a second axle. The second axle may be independent of the first axle. The rail gear assembly may include actuators that move the first wheel arm and second wheel arm between retracted positions and extended positions. The actuators may permit adjustment of the first wheel arm and the second wheel arm in their respective extended positions such that a net adjustment of the first wheel arm and the second wheel arm with respect to the base is approximately zero.

A rail gear assembly includes a base, a first wheel arm, and a second wheel arm. The first wheel arm may have a first end pivotally coupled to the base at a first arm connection and may have a second end rotatably connected to a first wheel by a first axle. The second wheel arm may have a first end pivotally coupled to the base at a second arm connection and a second end rotatably connected to a second wheel by a second axle. The second axle may be independent of the first axle. The rail gear assembly may include actuators that move the first wheel arm and second wheel arm between retracted positions and extended positions. The actuators may permit adjustment of the first wheel arm and the second wheel arm in their respective extended positions such that a net adjustment of the first wheel arm and the second wheel arm with respect to the base is approximately zero.

An apparatus and a method for controlling sequential unlocking, deployment or retraction, and locking of a hi-rail gear unit. There is a valve system in which some of the valves are configured to actuate a deployment cylinder that deploys or retracts the hi-rail device, wherein some of the valves are configured to actuate a locking cylinder that locks or unlocks the hi-rail gear unit deployed or retracted; said actuations being independent from each other. A multi-axis controller is connected to the valve system and has a rod configured to move freely by pivoting, the positions of the first multi-axis controller including a first lock position, a first unlock position, a first engaged position and a first disengaged position. A guiding forces the rod along a locking axis prior to permitting movement of the rod along a deployment axis to force unlocking before deployment or retraction.

An apparatus and a method for controlling sequential unlocking, deployment or retraction, and locking of a hi-rail gear unit. There is a valve system in which some of the valves are configured to actuate a deployment cylinder that deploys or retracts the hi-rail device, wherein some of the valves are configured to actuate a locking cylinder that locks or unlocks the hi-rail gear unit deployed or retracted; said actuations being independent from each other. A multi-axis controller is connected to the valve system and has a rod configured to move freely by pivoting, the positions of the first multi-axis controller including a first lock position, a first unlock position, a first engaged position and a first disengaged position. A guiding forces the rod along a locking axis prior to permitting movement of the rod along a deployment axis to force unlocking before deployment or retraction.

A dual mode vehicle that operates on both guided rails and roadways includes a capsule, a carriage, a left motor, a right motor, a road drive system, a rail drive system, a pod control unit, and at least one battery. The carriage includes a spherical frame-housing, a left wheel housing, and a right wheel housing. A spherical cabin of the capsule is attitudinally mounted within the spherical frame-housing. The left motor is adjacently mounted to the left wheel housing. The right motor is adjacently mounted to the right wheel housing. The left and right motors are operatively coupled with the road drive system through the at least one battery and the pod control unit to operate a roadways transportation mode. The left and right motors are operatively coupled with the rail drive system through the at least one battery and the pod control unit to operate a railway transportation mode.

A vehicle includes a chassis, and a stabilizer including a support frame that has a wheel support that is configured to support at least one shaft and two wheels arranged on opposite sides relative to a longitudinal axis of said vehicle and defining a track width between said two wheels. A base supports the support frame, and a suspension connects the base relative to the chassis and is configured to allow a free vertical displacement of one of the base and the chassis relative to the other over a restricted range. A stabilizer of or for such a vehicle.

A vehicle includes a chassis, and a stabilizer including a support frame that has a wheel support that is configured to support at least one shaft and two wheels arranged on opposite sides relative to a longitudinal axis of said vehicle and defining a track width between said two wheels. A base supports the support frame, and a suspension connects the base relative to the chassis and is configured to allow a free vertical displacement of one of the base and the chassis relative to the other over a restricted range. A stabilizer of or for such a vehicle.