Railroad tank cars are provided that include an inner tank, an outer tank, and tank to tank clearance between the inner tank and the outer tank. Insulation and spacers can be located within the tank to tank clearance. The inner tank can shift within the outer tank, and spacers can crush, under significant force loading, such as impact forces generated during a collision or derailment. The inner tank, insulation, spacers, and outer tank thus form an energy absorbing system that reduces the likelihood that the inner tank will be breached, and that a hazardous material contained therein will be released, under such conditions.

Railroad tank cars are provided that include an inner tank, an outer tank, and tank to tank clearance between the inner tank and the outer tank. Insulation and spacers can be located within the tank to tank clearance. The inner tank can shift within the outer tank, and spacers can crush, under significant force loading, such as impact forces generated during a collision or derailment. The inner tank, insulation, spacers, and outer tank thus form an energy absorbing system that reduces the likelihood that the inner tank will be breached, and that a hazardous material contained therein will be released, under such conditions.

An anti-climber device for a rail vehicle includes an impact plate having a plurality of protruding formations, wherein the profile of the formations when the anti-climber device is in the installed position is formed as a polygonal curve with a repeating sequence of sections that rise and fall relative to the horizontal, where the extent of the formations above the surface of the impact plate follows a polygonal curve with a repeating sequence of rising and falling sections.

An anti-climber device for a rail vehicle includes an impact plate having a plurality of protruding formations, wherein the profile of the formations when the anti-climber device is in the installed position is formed as a polygonal curve with a repeating sequence of sections that rise and fall relative to the horizontal, where the extent of the formations above the surface of the impact plate follows a polygonal curve with a repeating sequence of rising and falling sections.

A railroad car including a plurality of penetration resistant and protective structures including a penetration resistant and protective underframe, penetration resistant and protective first end, second end, and center bulkheads, penetration resistant and protective first, second, third, and fourth side walls, and protective first and second roof hatches, all configured to protect internal cylinder assemblies, the pipes that communicate the gas from the cylinders of the cylinder assemblies, and the safety critical valves, regulators, and other equipment connected to such cylinders and pipes of the railroad car in an accident (such as a derailment, crash and/or roll-over).

A railroad car including a plurality of penetration resistant and protective structures including a penetration resistant and protective underframe, penetration resistant and protective first end, second end, and center bulkheads, penetration resistant and protective first, second, third, and fourth side walls, and protective first and second roof hatches, all configured to protect internal cylinder assemblies, the pipes that communicate the gas from the cylinders of the cylinder assemblies, and the safety critical valves, regulators, and other equipment connected to such cylinders and pipes of the railroad car in an accident (such as a derailment, crash and/or roll-over).

A railway vehicle includes a carbody frame which includes a roof, a bottom side opposed to and spaced apart from the roof, two opposite sides, a front end face, and a rear end face opposite to the front end face. The roof, the bottom side, the two opposite sides and the front and rear end faces delimit altogether an inner space. One or more posts are positioned at at least one of the front and rear end faces and extend, along a substantially vertical axis, for at least a portion of a vertical distance existing between the roof and the bottom side. One or more crushable devices are connected to and extend along the substantially vertical axis for at least a predominant portion of the vertical extension of an associated post of the one or more posts.

A railway vehicle includes a carbody frame which includes a roof, a bottom side opposed to and spaced apart from the roof, two opposite sides, a front end face, and a rear end face opposite to the front end face. The roof, the bottom side, the two opposite sides and the front and rear end faces delimit altogether an inner space. One or more posts are positioned at at least one of the front and rear end faces and extend, along a substantially vertical axis, for at least a portion of a vertical distance existing between the roof and the bottom side. One or more crushable devices are connected to and extend along the substantially vertical axis for at least a predominant portion of the vertical extension of an associated post of the one or more posts.

A railroad car including a plurality of penetration resistant and protective structures including a penetration resistant and protective underframe, penetration resistant and protective first end, second end, and center bulkheads, penetration resistant and protective first, second, third, and fourth side walls, and protective first and second roof hatches, all configured to protect internal cylinder assemblies, the pipes that communicate the gas from the cylinders of the cylinder assemblies, and the safety critical valves, regulators, and other equipment connected to such cylinders and pipes of the railroad car in an accident (such as a derailment, crash and/or roll-over).

A railroad car including a plurality of penetration resistant and protective structures including a penetration resistant and protective underframe, penetration resistant and protective first end, second end, and center bulkheads, penetration resistant and protective first, second, third, and fourth side walls, and protective first and second roof hatches, all configured to protect internal cylinder assemblies, the pipes that communicate the gas from the cylinders of the cylinder assemblies, and the safety critical valves, regulators, and other equipment connected to such cylinders and pipes of the railroad car in an accident (such as a derailment, crash and/or roll-over).