A railroad hopper car having a single cargo-receiving hopper extending over substantially the length of a car body having a cargo discharge portion occupying most of the available distance between the wheeled trucks supporting opposite ends of the car body. The car has no pair of slope sheets separating longitudinally-adjacent hoppers and defining unusable space beneath the slope sheets, and so the overall length of such a hopper car capable of carrying a desired volume of cargo can be less than that of one with multiple separate hoppers. Cargo discharge openings are arrayed along the length of the cargo discharge portion, and a unitary multi-gate assembly is supported within the cargo discharge portion of the car body so as to be movable longitudinally of the car body to open or close all of the cargo discharge openings simultaneously.

A railroad hopper car having a single cargo-receiving hopper extending over substantially the length of a car body having a cargo discharge portion occupying most of the available distance between the wheeled trucks supporting opposite ends of the car body. The car has no pair of slope sheets separating longitudinally-adjacent hoppers and defining unusable space beneath the slope sheets, and so the overall length of such a hopper car capable of carrying a desired volume of cargo can be less than that of one with multiple separate hoppers. Cargo discharge openings are arrayed along the length of the cargo discharge portion, and a unitary multi-gate assembly is supported within the cargo discharge portion of the car body so as to be movable longitudinally of the car body to open or close all of the cargo discharge openings simultaneously.

A railroad hopper car having a single cargo-receiving hopper extending over substantially the length of a car body having a cargo discharge portion occupying most of the available distance between the wheeled trucks supporting opposite ends of the car body. The car has no pair of slope sheets separating longitudinally-adjacent hoppers and defining unusable space beneath the slope sheets, and so the overall length of such a hopper car capable of carrying a desired volume of cargo can be less than that of one with multiple separate hoppers. Cargo discharge openings are arrayed along the length of the cargo discharge portion, and a unitary multi-gate assembly is supported within the cargo discharge portion of the car body so as to be movable longitudinally of the car body to open or close all of the cargo discharge openings simultaneously.

A railroad hopper car having a single cargo-receiving hopper extending over substantially the length of a car body having a cargo discharge portion occupying most of the available distance between the wheeled trucks supporting opposite ends of the car body. The car has no pair of slope sheets separating longitudinally-adjacent hoppers and defining unusable space beneath the slope sheets, and so the overall length of such a hopper car capable of carrying a desired volume of cargo can be less than that of one with multiple separate hoppers. Cargo discharge openings are arrayed along the length of the cargo discharge portion, and a unitary multi-gate assembly is supported within the cargo discharge portion of the car body so as to be movable longitudinally of the car body to open or close all of the cargo discharge openings simultaneously.

A wagon and a car body assembly thereof are provided. The car body assembly includes at least two bogies, an underframe and a car body both supported on the two bogies, the car body includes a middle car body, and a discharge opening of the middle car body is arranged between the two bogies, and at least one end of the middle car body is further provided with an end car body, and a predetermined space is defined above the respective bogie by adjacent end walls of the middle car body and the end car body.

A wagon and a car body assembly thereof are provided. The car body assembly includes at least two bogies, an underframe and a car body both supported on the two bogies, the car body includes a middle car body, and a discharge opening of the middle car body is arranged between the two bogies, and at least one end of the middle car body is further provided with an end car body, and a predetermined space is defined above the respective bogie by adjacent end walls of the middle car body and the end car body.

According to some embodiments, a compression strut comprises a first strut body comprising a threaded end and a hollow end, and a second strut body comprising a threaded end and a shaped end. The hollow end of the first strut body is slidably coupled to the shaped end of the second strut body. A spring is disposed between the first strut body and the second strut body configured to resist longitudinal compression of the compression strut. The first strut body is rotationally coupled to the second strut body so that rotation of the first strut body also rotates the second strut body and rotation of the second strut body also rotates the first strut body. A first ball end is threaded to the first strut body and a second ball end is threaded to the second strut body.

According to some embodiments, a compression strut comprises a first strut body comprising a threaded end and a hollow end, and a second strut body comprising a threaded end and a shaped end. The hollow end of the first strut body is slidably coupled to the shaped end of the second strut body. A spring is disposed between the first strut body and the second strut body configured to resist longitudinal compression of the compression strut. The first strut body is rotationally coupled to the second strut body so that rotation of the first strut body also rotates the second strut body and rotation of the second strut body also rotates the first strut body. A first ball end is threaded to the first strut body and a second ball end is threaded to the second strut body.

A left hopper door and a right hopper door are associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car that includes an operating beam which is longitudinally moveable within a center sill. A door operating mechanism for such doors includes an operating arm that includes a longitudinal slot, and a fulcrum that is attached to the operating beam. The fulcrum includes a pin that is adapted to slide within the slot of the operating arm. A V-lever is pivotally mounted on the center sill. The V-lever includes a left arm that is attached to the left hopper door and a right arm that is attached to the right hopper door. The right arm of the V-lever also include an intermediate pivot mount to which the operating arm is pivotally attached. An arming assembly is configurable in an armed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move between opened and closed positions, and in a disarmed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will not cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move.

A left hopper door and a right hopper door are associated with a hopper of a railroad hopper car that includes an operating beam which is longitudinally moveable within a center sill. A door operating mechanism for such doors includes an operating arm that includes a longitudinal slot, and a fulcrum that is attached to the operating beam. The fulcrum includes a pin that is adapted to slide within the slot of the operating arm. A V-lever is pivotally mounted on the center sill. The V-lever includes a left arm that is attached to the left hopper door and a right arm that is attached to the right hopper door. The right arm of the V-lever also include an intermediate pivot mount to which the operating arm is pivotally attached. An arming assembly is configurable in an armed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move between opened and closed positions, and in a disarmed configuration in which longitudinal movement of the operating beam will not cause the left hopper door and the right hopper door to move.