A railroad well car includes a spaced trucks grouped in pairs, and a railcar body supported on a pair of the trucks, the body comprising a pair of spaced end structures, each end structure supported on one truck, and a well structure extending between the end structures. The well structure comprises a pair of top chord members extending between the end structures; a pair of side sills extending between the end structures. The rail car includes safety platform and handbrake wherein operator walkway platforms are included with co-planer end walkways and running boards, wherein the running boards are above the top chords of the sidewalls of the well car; and a handbrake operated with a hand wheel is mounted on one side of the railroad well car, which hand wheel extends below the top chords of the side walls of the well car whereby the hand wheel is accessible from the side of the railcar via an operator on the ground.

Parking brake assists for vehicles providing a reduction in operator discomfort and risk of injury during parking brake deployment or disengagement.

A parking brake control module using pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a railway vehicle. The control module includes a brake pipe passageway, a reservoir passageway, a reservoir release valve, and an actuation cylinder vent valve. The control module applies or releases the parking brake based on pressures of the brake pipe and reservoir. A method uses pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a railway car. The parking brake is applied when the brake pipe pressure falls below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold and is released when the brake pipe pressure exceeds an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and the reservoir pressure exceeds a reservoir pressure threshold. A hold valve can allow an operator to manually prevent the release of the parking brake.

A parking brake control module using pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a railway vehicle. The control module includes a brake pipe passageway, a reservoir passageway, a reservoir release valve, and an actuation cylinder vent valve. The control module applies or releases the parking brake based on pressures of the brake pipe and reservoir. A method uses pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a railway car. The parking brake is applied when the brake pipe pressure falls below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold and is released when the brake pipe pressure exceeds an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and the reservoir pressure exceeds a reservoir pressure threshold. A hold valve can allow an operator to manually prevent the release of the parking brake.

A truck mounted braking system is provided with a mechanical pivot adjustment on the bake lever connected to the brake cylinder push rod to permit the braking force applied to the wheels to vary depending on the lading condition of the car, without involving additional pneumatic elements such as a pneumatic empty load device. The brake cylinder may be provided with a channel which permits the push rod to achieve different positions based on different positions of the brake cylinder push rod.

A truck mounted braking system is provided with a mechanical pivot adjustment on the bake lever connected to the brake cylinder push rod to permit the braking force applied to the wheels to vary depending on the lading condition of the car, without involving additional pneumatic elements such as a pneumatic empty load device. The brake cylinder may be provided with a channel which permits the push rod to achieve different positions based on different positions of the brake cylinder push rod.

A railway vehicle parking brake that can provide the appropriate tension to the braking system using a motor, a brake chain drum interconnected to the motor to take up or release a brake chain, a load arm deflects in response to tension in the brake chain, and a switch that is closed by the load arm when it deflects. A movable sheave interconnects the brake chain and the load arm and is positioned between the brake chain drum and a fixed sheave over which the brake chain is looped. A control method considers the position of the first switch to determine whether to the motor off when applying the brakes and the amount of current being drawn by the motor to determine whether to the motor off because of a system failure.

A railway vehicle parking brake that can provide the appropriate tension to the braking system using a motor, a brake chain drum interconnected to the motor to take up or release a brake chain, a load arm deflects in response to tension in the brake chain, and a switch that is closed by the load arm when it deflects. A movable sheave interconnects the brake chain and the load arm and is positioned between the brake chain drum and a fixed sheave over which the brake chain is looped. A control method considers the position of the first switch to determine whether to the motor off when applying the brakes and the amount of current being drawn by the motor to determine whether to the motor off because of a system failure.

An automatic parking brake for a truck mounted brake cylinder. The automatic parking brake includes rod that is interconnected to a piston of the brake cylinder and can prevent the piston from returning to the brakes releases position. The rod is controlled by locking nut that will rotate if the rod moves axially through the locking nut and a locking sleeve that is moveable between a locked position, where the locking sleeve engages the locking nut and prevents from the nut from rotating, and a released position, where the locking sleeve is disengages from the locking nut and the locking nut is free to rotate. A spring provides a force biasing the locking nut into the locked position, and brake pipe pressure biases the locking sleeve into the released position.

An automatic parking brake for a truck mounted brake cylinder. The automatic parking brake includes rod that is interconnected to a piston of the brake cylinder and can prevent the piston from returning to the brakes releases position. The rod is controlled by locking nut that will rotate if the rod moves axially through the locking nut and a locking sleeve that is moveable between a locked position, where the locking sleeve engages the locking nut and prevents from the nut from rotating, and a released position, where the locking sleeve is disengages from the locking nut and the locking nut is free to rotate. A spring provides a force biasing the locking nut into the locked position, and brake pipe pressure biases the locking sleeve into the released position.