RAIL CAR MODULARIZED MODIFICATION PROGRAMS ALTERING THE NATURE OF THE CENTER SILL IN THE MODIFIED RAILCAR AND THE MODIFIED RAILCARS FORMED THEREBY

Abstract

Rail car modularized modification programs altering the nature of the center sill in the modified railcar yield a greater variety of car types that can be placed into service. The present invention provides method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar comprising the steps of: providing an existing railcar with a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill and ii) a through sill; removing an upper portion of the existing railcar; forming an underframe construction including bolsters configured to be above truck assemblies and coupled to the center sill design, and a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill ii) a through sill, and iii) a fish-belly center sill; forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

Claims

1. A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar comprising the steps of: Providing an existing railcar with a pair of truck assemblies and a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill and ii) a through sill; Removing an upper portion of the existing railcar; Forming an underframe construction configured to be above the truck assemblies and having a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill ii) a through sill, and iii) a fish-belly center sill, wherein the underframe construction has a center sill design different from the center sill design of the donor car; Forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and Attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

2. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 1 wherein the existing railcar includes a stub sill center sill design.

3. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 2 wherein the forming of the underframe construction includes using a salvaged stub sill, bolster and shear plate from the existing railcar.

4. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 2 wherein the forming of the underframe construction includes forming a through sill center sill design.

5. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 4 wherein the forming of the underframe construction which includes forming a through sill center sill design includes a fabricated through center sill.

6. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 5 wherein the fabricated through center sill further includes transverse reinforcing webs spaced along the through center sill.

7. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 6 wherein the fabricated through center sill further includes transverse reinforcing webs within the salvaged stub sills.

8. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 4 wherein the modified railcar is one of a three hopper transverse hopper car, a longitudinal hopper aggregate car, a covered double hopper car, a covered triple hopper car, a covered quad hopper car, a transverse hopper coal car, an aggregate gondola car, and a ballast car.

9. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 2 wherein the forming of the underframe construction includes forming a fish-belly center sill design.

10. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 1 wherein the existing railcar includes a through sill center sill design.

11. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 10 the forming of the underframe construction includes forming a stub sill center sill design.

12. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 11 wherein the modified railcar is a stub sill hopper railcar having two sloping end sheets for the end hoppers and wherein the stub sill is cut to form an angle that is substantially perpendicular to the angle of an adjacent end sheet.

13. A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar comprising the steps of: Providing an existing railcar with a through center sill design of one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill; Removing an upper portion of the existing railcar; Forming an underframe construction including a center sill design comprising end portions which are of one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill and a central center sill portion which is one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill, wherein the central center sill portion type differs from the end portion type; and transition castings transitioning from the end portions to the central portions; Forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and Attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

14. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 13 the forming of the underframe construction includes forming a stub sill center sill design.

15. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 14 wherein the modified railcar is a stub sill hopper railcar having two sloping end sheets for the end hoppers and wherein the stub sill is cut to form an angle that is substantially perpendicular to the angle of an adjacent end sheet.

16. A method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar comprising the steps of: Providing an existing railcar with a pair of truck assemblies and a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill and ii) a through sill; Removing an upper portion of the existing railcar; Forming an underframe construction configured to be above the truck assemblies and having a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill and ii) a through sill, wherein the underframe construction has a center sill design different from the center sill design of the donor car; Forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and Attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

17. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 16 wherein the existing railcar includes a stub sill center sill design.

18. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 17 wherein the forming of the underframe construction includes using a salvaged stub sill, bolster and shear plate from the existing railcar.

19. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 17 wherein the forming of the underframe construction includes forming a through sill center sill design.

20. The method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according to claim 19 wherein the forming of the underframe construction which includes forming a through sill center sill design includes a fabricated through center sill.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stub sill donor car for use in one method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar according one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIGS. 2A-C are perspective views which illustrate the salvaged underframe car components after cut down in the method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar using the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fabricated through type center sill for a modified railcar using the salvaged underframe car components after cut down in the method of modification of a railcar to form the modified railcar using the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0021] FIGS. 4A-H illustrate the variety of through sill car designs that can be formed as the modified railcar using the fabricated through sill of FIG. 3 and the salvaged underframe car components from the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a fish belly center sill modified car design that can be formed as the modified railcar using the salvaged underframe car components from the donor railcar of FIG. 1 according to an alternative method of the present invention.

[0023] FIGS. 6A-F includes a perspective view and six isometric views of a casting used to form the fish belly center sill of the modified railcar of FIG. 5 from the salvaged underframe car components from the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 7A is a top view of one end of the fish belly center sill design of the modified railcar of FIG. 5 from the salvaged underframe car components from the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 7B is a bottom view of one end of the fish belly center sill design of the modified railcar of FIG. 5 from the salvaged underframe car components from the donor railcar of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 8A illustrates a stub center sill modified car design that can be formed as the modified railcar using the salvaged underframe car components from a through sill donor railcar according to an alternative method of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 8B is a side elevation view of the stub sill-end wall interface in the stub center sill modified car design of FIG. 8A.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present invention provides a rail car modularized modification programs altering the nature of the center sill in the modified railcar. The present invention provides method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar comprising the steps of: providing an existing railcar 10 with a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill and ii) a through sill; removing an upper portion of the existing railcar 10; forming an underframe construction including bolsters configured to be above truck assemblies 15 and coupled to the center sill design, and a center sill design of one of i) a stub sill ii) a through sill, and iii) a fish-belly center sill; forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

[0029] FIG. 1, for example, shows a stub sill donor car 10 for use in one method of modification of a railcar to form a modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 800 or 900 according one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The first step of the modification of car according to the present invention is known herein as the cut down or burn down in which the upper portion of the car 10 is removed. The salvaged car components of car 10 are those components that will be reinstalled on the modification railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 or 900 in addition to the trucks 15 and center sill and draft assemblies (draft arm and coupler assemblies—if appropriate), such the brake system component, the draft system components and the truck system components. Other non-reused components of the railcar 10 may be otherwise repurposed or scrapped for salvage.

[0031] FIGS. 2A-C illustrate the salvaged underframe car components after cut down in the method of modification of a railcar 10 to form a modified railcar using the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1. The trucks 15 and accessories that are salvaged are not shown. Specifically, FIG. 2A shows a salvaged stub sill 20 from the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 2B shows the stub sill 20 and bolster 30, and FIG. 2C shows the stub sill 20 and shear plate 40.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fabricated through type center sill 50 for a modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 using the salvaged underframe car components after cut down shown in FIGS. 2A-C in the method of modification of a railcar 10 to form the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 using the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1.

[0033] The fabricated through center sill 50 further includes transverse reinforcing webs 52 spaced along the through center sill 50 and within the salvaged stub sills 20 as shown. The coupling of the center sill construction to the salvaged underframe car components sections including the stub sills 20 may be through AAR patch couplings, or more preferably through lightweight transition type or splice type castings similar to those described in WO 2019/191762, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, the most preferred method of forming this coupling of the center sill construction of the formed underframe to the salvaged underframe car components may be through the use of center sill splice contoured backing bars. When using the backing bars for coupling the center sill construction of the formed underframe to the salvaged underframe car components the internal backing bars are provided within the center sill section matching the interior of the structural member which allows for providing a full depth weld through the center sill section along substantially the full perimeter thereof. The coupling with the backing bars may further include overlaying patches, which may allow for compliance with existing AAR splicing protocols, but the patches are not believed to be required for the modified railcar performance.

[0034] FIGS. 4A-H illustrate the variety of through sill car designs 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 that can be formed as the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 using the fabricated through sill 50 of FIG. 3 and the salvaged underframe car components including the stub sill 20 from the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1. In practice a fleet operator with excess donor cars 10 such as the type shown in FIG. 1 can select which of the modified railcar types 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 of FIGS. 4A-H can be most effectively placed into service and the process proceed to form the desired car 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800. After the through type center sill 50 of FIG. 3 is constructed the upper body of the final designated car type 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 of FIGS. 4A-H is built and the repurposed accessories added accordingly. The method of the present invention is to provide a greater variety of potential service cars to the customer for the resulting modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800. The end result is to take a railcar 10 that is out of service and costing money for storage and return a railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 to useful operation.

[0035] Naturally, the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 costs significantly less to produce than a new car having the particulars of the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800. Furthermore in the formation of any given modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 there may be more salvaged or repurposed components from the donor car 10 that may be reused in the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800. The present invention is primarily focused on the center sill structure as this is the backbone of the car 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800. Finally there may be components from the original donor railcar 10 that are repurposed for use in cars other than the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800, such as replacement parts for the original donor car type. Repurposing onto the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 or onto other railcars is generally preferred, when economical, to scrapping.

[0036] Returning to the available car types for the method of the present invention beginning with the donor car 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 4A is a three hopper transverse hopper car 100, FIG. 4B is a longitudinal hopper aggregate car 200; FIG. 4C is a covered double hopper car 300; FIG. 4D is a covered triple hopper car 400; FIG. 4E is a covered quad hopper car 500; FIG. 4F is a transverse hopper coal car 600; FIG. 4G is an aggregate gondola car 700; and FIG. 4H is a ballast car 800. The dimensions within each of these car types 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 may be varied to accommodate specific range of lading types or other designated operating parameters as generally known in the art.

[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates a fish belly center sill modified car design 900 that can be formed as the modified railcar 900 using the the salvaged underframe car components including the stub sill 20 from the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1 according to an alternative method of the present invention. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the fish belly center sill design 950 of the modified railcar 900 of FIG. 5 from the salvaged underframe car components including the stub sill 20 from the donor railcar 10 of FIG. 1. This design of railcar 900 utilizes a casting 910 illustrated in FIGS. 6A-F to transition from the stub sill 20 of the salvaged underframe car components of FIG. 2A-C to a conventional fabrication of the fish belly center sill 950 as shown. After forming the fish belly center sill 950 using two castings 910 and the stub sills 20 that are salvaged from the donor car, a support plate 960 can be coupled that overlaps the casting 910 position. Then the upper body is attached to the fish belly center sill 950 to form the car 900 of FIG. 5. The fish belly center sill 950 design option again expands the options when starting with the donor car 10 of FIG. 1.

[0038] As discussed above, the applicants successfully developed a coal car related modification program that is described in WO 2019/191762, which is incorporated herein by reference. In this prior art modification program the donor cars were through sill center sill constructions that were converted to alternative through sill constructions as detailed therein. The present invention is related to modification programs altering the nature of the center sill in the modified railcar and this methodology can apply to through sill donor cars such as of the type discussed in WO 2019/191762. The existing through sill donor cars will have one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill and can be made into the modified cars 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 by removing an upper portion of the existing railcar; forming an underframe construction including bolsters configured to be above truck assemblies and a center sill design comprising end portions which are of one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill from the donor car and a central center sill portion which is one of i) a cold formed center sill, ii) a hot rolled center sill and iii) a fabricated center sill, wherein the central center sill portion type differs from the end portion type. The method here uses a transition castings transitioning from the end portions to the central portions. The railcars 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, or 800 are completed by forming an upper body of the modified railcar; and attaching the upper body of the modified railcar to the underframe construction.

[0039] FIG. 8A illustrates a stub center sill modified car design 1000 that can be formed as the modified railcar using the salvaged underframe car components from a through sill donor railcar according to an alternative method of the present invention.

[0040] The cut down or burndown of the through sill railcar is similar to that described above (and analogous to that described in WO 2019/191762) wherein the center sill is cut down to form two stub sills 20′ as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In this method of the present invention the modified railcar 1000 is a stub sill hopper railcar 1000 having two slopping end sheets 1010 for the end hoppers. The stub sill 20′ is cut to form an angle that is substantially perpendicular (+/−10 degrees) to the angle of the end sheet 1010. The salvaged “stub sill” 20′ has a plate added as shown along the cut line that is substantially perpendicular to the floor sheet 1010 and engages with a transverse floor support on the floor sheet. This arrangement allows the forces to be transferred through the stub sill 20′ and then through the cross bracing to the side sill structure, and allows the effective formation of the stub sill 20′ design. This option is to give greater flexibility to the finished modified railcar when starting from a through sill donor car. Essentially a customer with an idle through sill car can adopt a modification program that bests suits its needs and select any of the modified rail cars shown in the applicant's prior method of WO 2019/191762 or now select a stub sill hopper car 1000 design of FIGS. 8A and B of the present invention. The number of hoppers in the modified railcar 1000 is shown as three and will generally be preferred for most laden types, however this modification can easily accommodate one, two or four hoppers as desired without altering the general method.

[0041] The rail car modularized modification programs altering the nature of the center sill in the modified railcar 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 or 1000 as described above yield a greater variety of car types 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 or 1000 that can be placed into service from idle railcars 10.

[0042] Although the present invention has been described with particularity herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.