HOPPER RAILROAD CAR HAVING MULTI-LEVEL RUNNING BOARDS

Abstract

A hopper railroad car with multi-level running boards at the top of the hopper railroad car that better enables an operator on the top of the hopper railroad car to maneuver and to open and close the hatches on the top of the hopper railroad car.

Claims

1. A hopper railroad car comprising: a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section; a first row of top hatches connected to the roof; a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart, and adjacent pairs of the hatches in each row are spaced apart; a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof; a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height; and a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof.

2. The hopper railroad car of claim 1, which includes a transversely extending fourth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof, and from part of the first side running board to part of the central running board.

3. The hopper railroad car of claim 2, which includes a transversely extending fifth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof, and from part of the second side running board to part of the central running board.

4. The hopper railroad car of claim 3, which includes a transversely extending sixth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and transversely toward part of the central running board.

5. The hopper railroad car of claim 4, which includes a transversely extending seventh running board extending between the sixth running board and the central running board.

6. The hopper railroad car of claim 5, which includes a transversely extending eighth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board.

7. The hopper railroad car of claim 6, which includes a transversely extending ninth running board extending between the eighth running board and the central running board.

8. The hopper railroad car of claim 1, which includes a first plurality of transversely extending running boards extending between the first running board and the central running board.

9. The hopper railroad car of claim 8, which includes a second plurality of transversely extending running boards extending between the second running board and the central running board.

10. A hopper railroad car comprising: a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section; a first row of top hatches connected to the roof; a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart, and adjacent pairs of the hatches in each row are spaced apart; a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof; a plurality of spaced-apart first runway supports attached to the central section of the roof and configured to support the central running board, each first runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of a same height; a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height; a plurality of spaced-apart second runway supports attached to the first side section of the roof and configured to support the first side running board, each second runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of different heights; a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof; and a plurality of spaced-apart third runway supports attached to the second side section of the roof and configured to support the second side running board, each third runway support including a first leg, a second leg spaced-apart from the first leg, and a support bar connected to and extending between the first leg and the second leg, the first leg and the second leg being of different heights.

11. The hopper railroad car of claim 10, wherein one or more of the runway supports each include a running board attachment clip.

12. The hopper railroad car of claim 11, wherein each running board attachment clip includes an attachment arm and a running board attachment hand connected to the attachment arm by an attachment wrist.

13. The hopper railroad car of claim 12, wherein the attachment arm of each running board attachment clip is configured to be adjustably attached to the support bar of the respective runway support via a fastener.

14. A hopper railroad car comprising: a roof including a longitudinally extending transversely curved central section, a longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section, and a longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section; a first row of top hatches connected to the roof; a second row of top hatches connected to the roof, wherein the first and second rows of top hatches are transversely spaced apart; a longitudinally extending central running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved central section of the roof, wherein central running board extends at a first height above the roof; a longitudinally extending first side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved first side section of the roof, wherein the first side running board extends at a second height above the roof, and wherein the first height is higher than the second height; a longitudinally extending second side running board connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending transversely curved second side section of the roof, wherein the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof; a transversely extending fourth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and from part of the first side running board to part of the central running board; a transversely extending fifth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and from part of the second side running board to part of the central running board; a transversely extending sixth running board positioned upwardly from part of the first side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board; a transversely extending seventh running board extending between the sixth running board and the central running board; a transversely extending eighth running board positioned upwardly from part of the second side section of the roof and extending transversely toward part of the central running board; and a transversely extending ninth running board extending between the eight running board and the central running board.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0006] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of part of a hopper railroad car configured to transport a variety of bulk materials, and showing the roof of the hopper railroad car, two rows of top hatches connected to the roof, and multi-level running boards connected to the roof in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a top view of the roof, hatches, and multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a side view of the roof, hatches, and multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 4 is an end view of the roof, hatches, and multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of part of the roof, hatches, and multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective view part of the roof, certain of the hatches, and various supports for the multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1 in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective view of an attachment clip employed in various of the supports for attaching certain of the multi-level running boards of the hopper railroad car of FIG. 1 in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] While the features, devices, and apparatus described herein may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show and the specification describe certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and certain implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components; and the manners of connections of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect the orientations of the components shown in the corresponding drawings and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms that refer to mounting methods, such as coupled, mounted, connected, and the like, are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods but should be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably coupled, mounted, connected and like mounting methods. This specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0014] Directions and orientations herein refer to the normal orientation of a railroad car in use. Thus, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the longitudinal or lengthwise axis or direction is substantially parallel to straight tracks or rails and in the direction of movement of the railroad car on the tracks or rails in either direction. The transverse or lateral axis or direction is in a direction that crosses (such as perpendicular to or substantially perpendicular to) the longitudinal axis and the straight tracks or rails. The leading end of the railroad car means the first end of the railroad car to encounter a turn on the tracks or rails, and the trailing end of the railroad car is opposite of the leading end.

[0015] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a hopper railroad car having a roof, multiple hatches connected to the roof, and multi-level running boards connected to the roof. The multi-level running boards provide walking surfaces at different heights on the top of the railroad car. The multi-level running boards better enable an operator to move on the top of the roof of the hopper railroad car and to open the hatches and to close the hatches on the roof of the hopper railroad car.

[0016] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate certain parts of an example hopper railroad car 100 in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure. The illustrated example hopper railroad car 100 generally includes: (1) a frame (not shown); (2) spaced apart trucks (not shown) that support the frame; (3) a plurality of wheels (not shown) that support the trucks; (4) a first side wall (not shown) connected to and supported by the frame; (5) a second side wall (not shown) connected to and supported by the frame; (6) a first end wall (not shown) connected to and supported by the frame; (7) a second end wall (not shown) connected to and supported by the frame; and (8) a roof 200 connected to and/or supported by the side walls, the end walls, and the frame. The hopper railroad car 100 also includes multiple bottom discharge chute assemblies (not shown) that enable the bulk materials in the hopper railroad car 100 to be unloaded. The first and second side walls are spaced apart. The first and second end walls are also spaced apart. The hopper railroad car 100 has a longitudinal first end (not labeled) and a longitudinal second end (not shown). The frame, the trucks, the wheels, the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall can be any such suitable components that are employed in currently known hopper railroad cars for future developed railroad cars. Since these components are well known, they are not shown or described herein for brevity. It should be appreciated that the configuration and size of the hopper railroad car can vary in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0017] The roof 200 includes a longitudinally extending curved central section 210, a longitudinally extending curved first side section 230, and a longitudinally extending curved second side section 250. The longitudinally extending central section 210, the longitudinally extending first side section 230, and the longitudinally extending second side section 250 are each curved in a transverse concave manner when viewed from below the roof 200 and are each curved in a transverse convex manner when viewed from above the roof 200. The convex/concave curvature of the roof 200 is required to prevent buckling and help shed residual commodity; however, this curvature makes it difficult for operators to maneuver on roof 200 of the railroad car 100.

[0018] The hopper railroad car 100 includes twenty-eight top hatches 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, and 328 suitably connected the roof 200 of the hopper railroad car 100. The hatches 301 to 328 are arranged in two longitudinally extending rows, and specifically hatches 301 to 314 are in a first longitudinally extending row and hatches 315 to 328 are arranged in a second longitudinally extending row. The first and second rows of hatches are transversely spaced apart. Each adjacent pair of hatches in each row are also spaced apart. It should be appreciated that the quantities of hatch assemblies (as well as discharge chute assemblies) can also vary in accordance with the present disclosure. The hatches 301 to 328 are used for loading the railroad car 100. The hatches 301 to 328 extend upwardly from the roof 200 and the respective hatch heights determine the working heights of the hatch covers. Different railroad cars can have differently shaped hatches and different quantities of hatches such as based on the commodity being transported. For certain railroad cars, the hatches can be rotated and result in different positions of the respective hatch cover hinges and the hatch cover latches. The multi-level running boards of the present disclosure provides improved access to these different height and different positions hatches and hatch components.

[0019] The hopper railroad car 100 includes: (1) a longitudinally extending central running board 400 connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200; (2) a longitudinally extending first side running board 500 connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved first side section 230 of the roof 200; (3) a longitudinally extending second side running board 600 connected to, supported by, and positioned upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved second side section 250 of the roof 200; and (4) a plurality of transversely extending fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth running boards 700, 750, 800, 830, 850, and 870, respectively, connected to, supported by, and extending upwardly from the various sections of the roof 200 as further described below. The combination of these running boards 400, 500, 600, 700, 750, 800, 830, 850, and 870 provide the hopper railroad car 100 with a multi-level running board configuration at the top of the hopper railroad car 100 that better enables an operator on the top of the hopper railroad car 100 to move on top of roof 200 and to reach, open, and close each of the twenty-eight top hatches 301 to 328. The running boards 400, 500, 600, 700, 750, 800, 830, 850, and 870 are each made of steel and are suitably connected such as by mechanical fasteners (not shown) and supports to the steel roof 200 of the hopper railroad car 100. In other embodiments, parts of the running boards can be made from other suitable materials and otherwise suitably connected to the roof 200. As further explained below, each of the running boards includes one or more runways and a plurality of supports that support such runways. The quantity, positions, shapes, sizes, and configurations of the supports can vary in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0020] In this example embodiment, the central running board 400 extends at a first height above the roof, the first side running board 500 extends at a second height above the roof, the second side running board extends at the second height above the roof, and the first height is higher than the second height.

[0021] In other embodiments, the central running board 400 extends at a first height above the roof, the first side running board 500 extends at a second height above the roof, the second side running board extends at a third height above the roof, the first height is higher than the second height and greater than the third height, and the first and second heights are not the same.

[0022] More specifically, the longitudinally extending central running board 400 extends upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200 from the first end to the second end of the railroad car 100. The longitudinally extending central running board 400 includes a plurality of individual runways (not labeled) and a plurality of runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are spaced apart, extend upwardly, and are each suitably connected (such as via welding) to the top of the roof 200. These runway supports are each of a same height. The runways are suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports and thus each extend a first distance above the bottom most portion of the roof 200 and particularly above the longitudinally extending central section 210 of the roof 200. These runways provide a level walking surface for an operator to move on.

[0023] One example runway support 420 for the central running board 400 is shown in FIG. 6. This runway support 420 includes a first L-shaped leg 422, a second L-shaped leg 424 spaced-apart from the first L-shaped leg 422, and a support bar 426 connected to and extending between the first L-shaped leg 422 and the second L-shaped leg 424. The runway support 420 is made from steel. The first L-shaped leg 422 and the second L-shaped leg 424 are of a same height and are respectively attached (such as by welding) to the central section 210 of the roof 200. It should be appreciated that the runway supports for the central running board 400 can be alternatively configured and made from alternative materials in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0024] The longitudinally extending first side running board 500 extends upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved first side section 230 of the roof 200 for part of the roof 200. The longitudinally extending first side running board 500 is spaced apart from the first end and from the second end of the railroad car 100. In other embodiments, the first side running board can extend to the first and second ends of the railroad car 100. The longitudinally extending first side running board 500 includes a plurality of runways (not labeled), a plurality of first runway supports (not labeled), and a plurality of second runway supports (not labeled). The first and second runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the first side of the roof 200, and are of different heights to account for the curvature of the first side section 230 of the roof 200. Specifically, the plurality of first runway supports (i.e., the inner runway supports) are of a first height and the plurality of second runway supports (i.e., the outer runway supports) are of a greater second height. The plurality of first (inner) runway supports are closer to the relatively higher longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof and the plurality of second (outer) runway supports are further away from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200. The runways are suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports and thus extend a second distance above the bottom most portion of the roof 200 and particularly above the longitudinally extending first side section 230 of the roof 200. These runways provide a level walking surface for an operator to move on.

[0025] Two example runway supports 520a and 520b for the first side running board 500 is shown in FIG. 6. These example running supports 520a and 520 are identical so only support 520a is described for brevity. The runway support 520a includes a first L-shaped leg 522a, a second L-shaped leg 524a spaced-apart from the first L-shaped leg 524a, and a support bar 526a connected to and extending between the first L-shaped leg 522a and the second L-shaped leg 524a. The runway support 520a is made from steel. The first L-shaped leg 522a and the second L-shaped leg 524a are respectively attached (such as by welding) to the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The first L-shaped leg 522a is of a greater height than the second L-shaped leg 524a to account for the curvature of the first side section 230 of the roof 200. It should be appreciated that the runway supports for the first side running board 500 can be alternatively configured and made from alternative materials in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0026] The longitudinally extending second side running board 600 extends upwardly from the longitudinally extending curved second side section 230 of the roof 200 for part of the roof 200. The longitudinally extending second side running board 600 is spaced apart from the first end and from the second end of the railroad car 100. In other embodiments, the second side running board can extend to the first and second ends of the railroad car 100. The longitudinally extending second side running board 600 includes a plurality of runways (not labeled), a plurality of first runway supports (not labeled), and a plurality of second supports (not labeled). The first and second runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the second side of the roof 200, and are of different heights to account for the curvature of the second side section 250 of the roof 200. Specifically, the plurality of first runway supports (i.e., the inner runway supports) are of a first height and the plurality of second runway supports (i.e., the outer runway supports) are of a greater second height. The plurality of first (inner) runway supports are closer to the relatively higher longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof and the plurality of second (outer) runway supports are further away from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200. The runways are suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports and thus extend a third distance above the bottom most portion of the roof 200 and particularly above the longitudinally extending first side section 230 of the roof 200. These runways provide a level walking surface for an operator to move on.

[0027] One example runway support 620 for the second side running board 600 is shown in FIG. 6. This runway support 620 includes a first L-shaped leg 622, a second L-shaped leg 624 spaced-apart from the first L-shaped leg 624, and a support bar 626 connected to and extending between the first L-shaped leg 622 and the second L-shaped leg 624. The runway support 620 is made from steel. The first L-shaped leg 622 and the second L-shaped leg 624 are respectively attached (such as by welding) to the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The first L-shaped leg 622 is of a greater height than the second L-shaped leg 524 to account for the curvature of the second side section 250 of the roof 200. It should be appreciated that the runway supports for the second side running board 600 can be alternatively configured and made from alternative materials in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0028] One or more of these runway supports as described above can each include a running board attachment clip 650 such as shown in FIG. 7. The running board attachment clip 650 in FIG. 7 is shown in conjunction with the runway support 620 described above. The running board attachment clip 650 includes an attachment arm 660 and a running board attachment hand 680 connected to the attachment arm 660 by an attachment wrist 670. The attachment arm 660 is configured to be adjustably attached to the support bar 626 (such as via a suitable fastener (not shown) extending through suitable openings (not labeled) in the attachment arm 660 and the support bar 626). The running board attachment hand 680 is configured to engage and hold the running board 600. A suitable fastener (not shown) can extend through suitable openings (not labeled) in the attachment hand 680 and the running board 600 to facilitate such attachment. In this example embodiment, the running board attachment clips are made from steel but can be made from other suitable materials.

[0029] In this example embodiment, the first distance is greater than each of the second and third distances, and the second and third distances are equal. Thus, (1) the longitudinally extending central running board 400 thus extends at a higher level than the longitudinally extending first side running board 500 and than the longitudinally extending second side running board 600; and (2) the longitudinally extending first side running board 500 and the longitudinally extending second side running board 600 extend at the same level.

[0030] The plurality of transversely extending running boards 700 750, 800, 830, 850, and 870 are connected to, supported by, and extend upwardly from various sections of the roof 200 as further described below.

[0031] The transversely extending fourth running board 700 extends upwardly from the part of the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The running board 700 extends transversely upwardly (i.e., at a 10-20 degree angle) from part of the first side running board 500 to part of the central running board 400. The running board 700 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a plurality of transversely extending runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the central running board 400 and to the first side running board 500. The running board 700 thus provides an inclined walkway between the first running board 400 and the first side running board 500.

[0032] The transversely extending fifth running board 750 extends upwardly from part of the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The running board 750 extends transversely upwardly (i.e., at a 10-20 degree angle) from part of the second side running board 600 to part of the central running board 400. The running board 750 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a plurality of transversely extending runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the central running board 400 and the second side running board 600. The running board 750 thus provides an inclined walkway between the first running board 400 and the second side running board 600.

[0033] The transversely extending sixth running board 800 is at the first end of the hopper railroad car 100 and extends upwardly from the part of the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The running board 800 extends transversely toward part of the central running board 400. The running board 800 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a first plurality of runway supports (not labeled) and a second plurality of runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The first and second runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the first side of the roof 200, and are of different heights to account for the curvature of the first side section 230 of the roof 200. Specifically, the plurality of first runway supports (i.e., the inner runway supports) are of a first height and the plurality of second runway supports (i.e., the outer runway supports) are of a greater second height. The plurality of first (inner) runway supports are closer to the relatively higher longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof and the plurality of second (outer) runway supports are further away from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the running board 830. This runway provides a level walking surface for an operator to move on (such as from a platform (not shown) adjacent to the first end of the hopper railroad car 100).

[0034] The transversely extending seventh running board 830 is at the first end of the hopper railroad car 100 and extends between the running board 800 and the central running board 400. The running board 830 extends transversely upwardly (i.e., at a 17.7 degree angle) from the running board 800 to part of the central running board 400. The running board 830 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a plurality of transversely extending runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the first side section 230 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the central running board 400 and the sixth running board 800. The running board 830 thus provides an inclined walkway between the running board 800 and the running board 400. The running boards 800 and 830 thus provide a walkway toward the first running board 400.

[0035] The transversely extending eighth running board 850 is at the second end of the hopper railroad car 100 and extends upwardly from the part of the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The running board 850 extends transversely toward part of the central running board 400. The running board 850 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a first plurality of runway supports (not labeled) and a second plurality of runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The first and second runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the second side of the roof 200, and are of different heights to account for the curvature of the second side section 250 of the roof 200. Specifically, the plurality of first runway supports (i.e., the inner runway supports) are of a first height and the plurality of second runway supports (i.e., the outer runway supports) are of a greater second height. The plurality of first (inner) runway supports are closer to the relatively higher longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof and the plurality of second (outer) runway supports are further away from the longitudinally extending curved central section 210 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the running board 870. This runway provides a level walking surface for an operator to move on (such as from a platform (not shown) adjacent to the second end of the hopper railroad car 100).

[0036] The transversely extending ninth running board 870 is at the second end of the hopper railroad car 100 and extends between the running board 850 and the central running board 400. The running board 870 extends transversely upwardly (i.e., at a 17.7 degree angle) from the running board 850 to part of the central running board 400. The running board 870 includes a transversely extending runway (not labeled) and a plurality of transversely extending runway supports (not labeled). The runway supports are suitably connected (such as via welding) to the second side section 250 of the roof 200. The runway is suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the runway supports. The runway is also suitably connected (such as via mechanical fasteners (not shown)) to the first running board 400 and the running board 850. The running board 870 thus provides a walkway between the running board 850 and the central running board 400. The running boards 850 and 870 thus provide a walkway toward the first running board 400.

[0037] The running boards 400, 500, 600, 700, 750, 800, 830, 850, and 870 thus form a multi-level running board configuration that: (1) enables an operator on the roof 200 to reach each of the twenty-eight top hatches 301 to 328 from two different locations (including from above and from below the hatch depending on which position is more comfortable and efficient for the operator); (2) enables an operator to start walking on the running boards from either side of the railroad carsuch as from a platform (not shown) adjacent to the running board 800 or the running board 850; (3) enables an operator to exit walking on the running boards from either side of the railroad carsuch as to a platform (not shown) adjacent the running board 800 the or running board 850; (4) provides the operator a flat walking surface used to access loading equipment staged on a platform adjacent to the side of the railroad car; and (5) provides the operator a flat walking surface used to stage loading equipment prior to applying to the railroad car.

[0038] In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, additional transverse running boards can be configured to extend between any of the adjacent pairs of hatches.

[0039] It will be understood that modifications and variations may be affected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, and it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the claims.