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.

The present disclosure discloses a road-rail dual-purpose vehicle, comprising a vehicle frame (1), and a lifting airbag mounting seat (1c) is provided between two longitudinal beams (1a) of the vehicle frame (1); a load-bearing airbag insertion hole is formed in a lower cover plate (1a1) of the longitudinal beam (1a); a load-bearing airbag mounting seat (1d) is installed in the load-bearing airbag insertion hole, and a bearing bolster (1e) is installed on an outer side of the longitudinal beam (1a). The road-rail dual-purpose vehicle is suitable for transportation.

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 truck trailer system including a connector vehicle with retractable wheels that are designed to engage with a railroad track is provided. The connector vehicle includes main wheels and at least one pair of secondary wheels, and an actuator assembly operably connected to the pair of secondary wheels. The actuator assembly is designed to actuate in a first direction to extend the pair of secondary wheels to engage with the railroad track, and in a second direction to retract the pair of secondary wheels to disengage with the railroad track. The truck trailer system may include a reinforcement assembly comprising at least one cable provided within a conduit, for connecting multiple units to be pulled at the same time via truck or locomotive. In embodiments, the reinforcement assembly may enable hauling of at least 10, or up to about 50 units via a single locomotive.

A railroad trailer chassis comprising two or more road axles, two or more rail axles operable to be moved between first and second positions, and a work unit. The railroad trailer chassis is operable to be driven or towed in a road mode when the two or rail axles are in their respective first positions. The railroad trailer chassis is operable to be driven or towed in a rail mode when the two or more rail axles are in their respective second positions. The work unit is operable to perform one or more railroad maintenance or operation functions when driven in the rail mode.

The present disclosure discloses a road-rail dual-purpose vehicle, comprising a vehicle frame (1), and a lifting airbag mounting seat (1c) is provided between two longitudinal beams (1a) of the vehicle frame (1); a load-bearing airbag insertion hole is formed in a lower cover plate (1a1) of the longitudinal beam (1a); a load-bearing airbag mounting seat (1d) is installed in the load-bearing airbag insertion hole, and a bearing bolster (1e) is installed on an outer side of the longitudinal beam (1a). A suspension (2) comprises an axle assembly (2a); a lifting airbag (2b) is installed in a middle portion of a front end of the axle assembly (2a); both sides of the rear end of the axle assembly (2a) are provided with primary load-bearing airbags (2c); and the two primary load-bearing airbags (2c) are respectively provided with the secondary load-bearing airbags (2c); the lifting airbag (2b) is installed on the lifting airbag mounting seat (1c), and the secondary load-bearing airbag (2e) is installed in the load-bearing airbag mounting seat (1d). The single-axle bogie (3) comprises a framework (3a), and both ends of the framework (3a) are provided with axle boxes (3b); a primary damping spring assembly (3d) is provided between the axle boxes (3b) and the vehicle frame (1); and a vehicle frame connection assembly (3f) is provided on both ends of the top surface of the framework (3a) respectively; the framework (3a) is installed on the bottom surface of the bearing bolster (1e) through the vehicle frame connection assembly (3f). The road-rail dual-purpose vehicle is suitable for transportation.

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.

Autonomously drivable vehicles, selectively controllable by on-board and remote controllers and capable of travel on both conventional railways and conventional roadways by virtue of bimodal wheel combinations of roadways wheels and railway wheels, the latter of slightly smaller radius than that of the former, are disclosed. Vehicle direction and speed are alternatively and selectively controlled by (1) an onboard vehicle controller (autonomous and/or personal) or (2) a remote controller (as in a locomotive or central rail network management system). In railway mode, direction is controlled by track-following railway wheels and movement is propelled either by an on-board motor or motors or by locomotive force supplied by a connected vehicle such as a conventional locomotive.

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 railroad trailer chassis comprising two or more road axles, two or more rail axles operable to be moved between first and second positions, and a work unit. The railroad trailer chassis is operable to be driven or towed in a road mode when the two or rail axles are in their respective first positions. The railroad trailer chassis is operable to be driven or towed in a rail mode when the two or more rail axles are in their respective second positions. The work unit is operable to perform one or more railroad maintenance or operation functions when driven in the rail mode.