In accordance with the present invention a through center sill is provided which in cross section comprises an enclosed tube of quadrilateral or tear drop shaped. Preferably a parallelogram, such as a square, or diamond, is used. The tube is so placed in the car as to make approximately an angle of about 30.degree. to 60.degree. to the horizontal. The present invention further comprises a hopper car having such a center sill and preferably a single bolster cover plate is used between the center sill and the side sill at the ends of the car. Reinforcing members, preferably triangularly shaped, making an angle with respect to the vertical of 2.degree. to 30.degree. support the hopper slope sheets. With these design features the car weight and fabrication costs may be reduced.
A gondola-type railway car has a bottom which comprises at least one and preferably at least two transversely parabolic surfaces which extend below the side sills of the car, giving increased capacity, a lower center of gravity, and increased resistance to bottom damage.
A gondola railway car having a car truck attached to each end of a continuous center sill, a pair of generally vertical end panels, a pair of generally vertical side panels joined to the end panels, a plurality of cross bearers extending from the center sill to a longitudinal chord at the bottom of each side panel, a car bottom between the end and side panels having substantially flat portions over the trucks and a pair of longitudinal trough portions between the trucks and the flat bottom portions, each trough portion having a side edge joined to a side panel bottom edge and a side edge joined to the center sill, and an end wall at each end of each trough extending to the adjacent flat bottom portion.
A gondola railway car comprising a car truck attached to each end of a continuous center sill, a pair of generally vertical end panels, a pair of generally vertical side panels joined to the end panels, a plurality of cross bearers extending from the center sill to a longitudinal chord at the bottom of each side panel, a car bottom between the end and side panels having substantially flat portions over the trucks and a longitudinal trough portion between the trucks and the flat bottom portions, the trough portion having side edges joined to the side panel bottom edges and extending beneath the center sill, and an end wall at each end of the trough extending to the adjacent flat bottom portion.
A railway gondola car having trucks for movably supporting the car on railway tracks includes a center sill and a gondola body supported by the trucks. The gondola body includes first and second ends, a first side, a second side, and a bottom assembly. The bottom assembly includes a trough disposed between the trucks and attached to the first and second sides. The bottom assembly also includes a generally hat-shaped stiffener attached to the trough, the first side, and the second side.
