Railroad car and end door assembly therefor

A tarpaulin dome for a railroad freight car, said tarpaulin dome comprising:

• a first portion and a second portion;
• said first portion defining a former over which to tighten a tarpaulin;
• said second portion defining an extension for placement intermediate said former and a top chord of an end wall of the railroad freight car;
• first and second top chord mounting fittings located on opposite sides of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord mounting fittings inhibiting vertical and longitudinal movement of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord fittings permitting lateral play;
• said first top chord mounting including an anchor for connection to a top chord of a sidewall of a railroad freight car;
• said anchor has a flange for rigid attachment to an upper flange of the top chord;
• said anchor has an upstanding web, said web facing said former;
• said former has a profile over which to tighten a tarpaulin;
• said former has a flange formed at said first end thereof, said flange of said former being located shy of said profile;
• said flange of said former and said upstanding web of said anchor facing each other in mutual opposition;
• said flange of said former and said upstanding web of said anchor having mutually aligned apertures formed therein;
• and
• said top chord mounting includes a plurality of pins seated in associated ones of said mutually aligned apertures.

A combination comprising:

• a tarpaulin dome for a railroad freight car and at least a first retainer therefor;
• said tarpaulin dome including a first portion and a second portion;
• said first portion of said tarpaulin dome defining a former over which to tighten a tarpaulin;
• said second portion of said tarpaulin dome defining an extension for placement intermediate said former and a top chord of an end wall of the railroad freight car;
• first and second top chord mounting fittings located on opposite sides of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord mounting fittings inhibiting vertical and longitudinal movement of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord fittings permitting lateral play;
• said second portion of said tarpaulin dome has a longitudinally outboard margin distant from said former;
• said first retainer is mounted to a transversely extending top chord of an end wall assembly of an open top railroad freight car, said first retainer defining an accommodation above that top chord and below said first retainer in which to seat said outboard margin of said second portion of said tarpaulin dome, said margin thereby being captured above the top chord by said retainer.

A tarpaulin dome for a railroad freight car, the railroad freight car having a longitudinal direction in which the railroad car rolls along railroad tracks, a vertical direction measured upwardly from Top of Rail, and a lateral direction oriented cross-wise to the longitudinal direction, said tarpaulin dome comprising:

• a first portion and a second portion;
• said first portion defining a rib over which to tighten a tarpaulin;
• said second portion defining an extension for placement intermediate said rib and a top chord of an end wall of the railroad freight car;
• first and second top chord mounting fittings located on opposite sides of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord mounting fittings inhibiting vertical and longitudinal movement of said tarpaulin dome;
• each of said first and second top chord fittings permitting play in said lateral direction;
• and
• said first top chord mounting fitting including an anchor rigidly mounted to a first sidewall top chord of the railroad car, and a pin oriented in said lateral direction to permit said play.