A system and method are provided for spacing railcars of a train apart from each other with a predetermined gap in between. Embodiments include a railcar spacing tool having a hydraulic cylinder with brackets at opposing ends for contacting the frame of each of a pair of adjoined adjacent railcars to be spaced from each other, and a cylinder support frame attached to the cylinder and movably attached to a support vehicle such that the support frame is movable from a retracted position to an extended position where the brackets are between the frames of the pair of railcars. After moving the cylinder support frame to the extended position, the brackets are positioned in contact with the railcar frames, and the cylinder is engaged to create the predetermined gap between the railcars. The railcars' brakes are applied to preserve the gap, and the spacing tool is then removed.

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.

A modular drive train assembly is disclosed for the rail wheels of a railcar mover that provides a plurality of electric drive motors. Each electric drive motor may be connected to a gearbox and subsequently connected to a rail wheel. An automated control system may further control the power supplied to each of the electric drive motors such that the power supplied to each electric drive motor may be individually controlled to enhance the traction of each rail wheel. In addition, a plurality of sensors may monitor and communicate information from the electric drive motors to allow the control system to automatically control the power to each of the electric drive motors to enhance traction of the railcar mover.

A freight vehicle is provided including a set of road wheels configured for road traversal; a set of rail wheels configured for rail traversal, the set of rail wheels being separate from the set of road wheels; and an actuation system configured to modify a relative positioning of the set of road wheels and the set of rail wheels to facilitate operation of the freight vehicle according to a plurality of operational modes. The plurality of operational modes include a road traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of road wheels to contact a road and a rail traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of rail wheels to contact a rail.

A rail vehicle including a wheel assembly having wheels configured to traverse rails of a railroad track, a controller having a processor in communication with the wheel assembly, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, disposed on the vehicle, and containing instructions, which, cause the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rails: determine a rail pressure of the wheels on the rails, determine a degree of curvature of the rails as the vehicle moves along the railroad track, determine a minimum rail pressure of the wheels on the rails based on the degree of curvature, determine if the rail pressure is equal to or greater than the minimum rail pressure and adjust the rail pressure of the wheels on the rails to be the minimum rail pressure when the rail pressure is less than the minimum rail pressure to maintain stability of the vehicle on the railroad track.

A rail vehicle including a wheel assembly having wheels configured to traverse rails of a railroad track, a controller having a processor in communication with the wheel assembly, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, disposed on the vehicle, and containing instructions, which, cause the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rails: determine a rail pressure of the wheels on the rails, determine a degree of curvature of the rails as the vehicle moves along the railroad track, determine a minimum rail pressure of the wheels on the rails based on the degree of curvature, determine if the rail pressure is equal to or greater than the minimum rail pressure and adjust the rail pressure of the wheels on the rails to be the minimum rail pressure when the rail pressure is less than the minimum rail pressure to maintain stability of the vehicle on the railroad track.

A control system having a controller is configured to operate a vehicle indexing system that moves one or more vehicles in a vehicle system into a position to one or more of unload cargo off of the one or more vehicles or load the cargo onto the one or more vehicles. The controller is configured to determine a power setting of the vehicle indexing system that is used by the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles in the vehicle system into the position. The controller also is configured to determine a vehicle power setting for the vehicle system based on the power setting of the vehicle indexing system for controlling the vehicle system to provide additional tractive effort to the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles into the position.

A control system having a controller is configured to operate a vehicle indexing system that moves one or more vehicles in a vehicle system into a position to one or more of unload cargo off of the one or more vehicles or load the cargo onto the one or more vehicles. The controller is configured to determine a power setting of the vehicle indexing system that is used by the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles in the vehicle system into the position. The controller also is configured to determine a vehicle power setting for the vehicle system based on the power setting of the vehicle indexing system for controlling the vehicle system to provide additional tractive effort to the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles into the position.

A control system having a controller is configured to operate a vehicle indexing system that moves one or more vehicles in a vehicle system into a position to one or more of unload cargo off of the one or more vehicles or load the cargo onto the one or more vehicles. The controller is configured to determine a power setting of the vehicle indexing system that is used by the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles in the vehicle system into the position. The controller also is configured to determine a vehicle power setting for the vehicle system based on the power setting of the vehicle indexing system for controlling the vehicle system to provide additional tractive effort to the vehicle indexing system to move the one or more vehicles into the position.

A railroad car moving vehicle comprises a chassis, the chassis including at least two ground wheels and at least two track wheels; a platform moveably mounted on the chassis; a platform lifting apparatus configured to move the platform between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the chassis, the platform lifting apparatus including a platform lifting cylinder operatively coupled between the chassis and the platform; and at least one locking leg, the locking leg positionable between an extended position and a stowed position, the locking leg preventing lowering of the platform when in the extended position.