Railcar spacing tool

A railcar spacing tool in combination with a pair of adjacent adjoined railcars apart from each other a predetermined distance, the spacing tool comprising:

• a cylinder having a body, a piston extendible from the body, a first bracket attached to a distal end of the body, and a second bracket attached to a distal end of the piston, the piston being extendible from the body such that a total length of the cylinder is adjustable from less than the predetermined distance to the predetermined distance, the first and second brackets being for contacting respective frames of the adjoined adjacent railcars to be spaced from each other;
• wherein when the piston is extended from the body such that the total length is less than the predetermined distance and the first and second brackets are disposed between the respective frames of the adjacent railcars, the cylinder is for extending the piston until the first and second brackets contact the respective frames of the adjoined adjacent railcars, and for further extending the piston to move the adjacent railcars relative to each other until the total length of the cylinder is the predetermined distance;
• the railcar spacing tool further comprising a cylinder support frame having a first end attachable to the body of the cylinder, and a second end movably attachable to a support vehicle such that the cylinder support frame is movable from a retracted position where the first end is proximal the support vehicle, to an extended position where the first and second brackets are disposed between the respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars.