US 11,027,752 B2 · Railway facility with high throughput loop track

Abstract

A railway facility with high throughput loop track includes a series of adjacent parallel staging tracks connected to a main line to receive and depart trains, arranged in a path so that trains transverse around the railway facility. A balloon loop track, which includes a loading or unloading facility, is connected to the staging tracks loops and reverses the direction of the train so that upon completion of loading or unloading a train can depart or be re-staged without requiring repositioning or turning of locomotives. Staging tracks are included for staging both arriving and departing trains. In alternative embodiments transload tracks and at-grade access roads allow storage and retrieval of cargo to interior space within the staging tracks, and an escape track allows expedited exit of trains from the balloon loop track.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A railway facility with high throughput loop track, comprising:

a plurality of generally concentric staging tracks connected to at least one main line to receive arriving trains and to depart departing trains, wherein each of said plurality of staging tracks extends contiguously to substantially encircle an outer perimeter of the railway facility and wherein each of said plurality of staging tracks is connected to an adjacent one of said plurality of staging tracks such that the plurality of staging tracks forms a spiral track substantially encircling the railway facility path for directing a train around the railway facility;
and
a first balloon loop track connected to at least one of the plurality of staging tracks and positioned within a space defined within the concentric staging tracks, wherein the first balloon track extends contiguously around at least a portion of an interior perimeter of the plurality of generally concentric plurality of staging tracks, and wherein the first balloon loop track is configured to reverse the direction of a train with respect to the direction of the train through the spiral path of the staging tracks.

A railway facility with high throughput loop track, comprising:

a plurality of generally concentric staging tracks connected to at least one main line to receive at least first and second arriving unit trains and to depart the first and second unit trains, wherein each of said plurality of staging tracks extends contiguously to substantially encircle an outer perimeter of the railway facility and wherein each of said plurality of staging tracks is connected to an adjacent one of said plurality of staging tracks such that the plurality of staging tracks forms a spiral track path for directing a train around the railway facility;
and
a balloon loop track connected to at least one of the plurality of staging tracks and positioned within a space defined within the concentric staging tracks, wherein the balloon track extends contiguously around at least a portion of an interior perimeter of the plurality of generally concentric plurality of staging tracks, such that the track configuration permits the second train to enter the balloon loop as the first train departs or rechambers to an outer staging track without interference between paths of the two unit trains.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Railway facility with high throughput loop track

Life of this patent

Railway facility with high throughput loop track

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13