Road to rail hybrid vehicles using passive junction and transition spans

A rail vehicle configured for selective guiding among two rails of a standard rail system, the rail vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body having, with respect to a direction of travel along the two rails, (i) a starboard side, (ii) a port side, (iii) a vehicle front portion, and (iv) a vehicle rear portion;
• a first pair of rail wheels having a first front rail wheel disposed on the starboard side toward the vehicle front portion, and a first rear rail wheel disposed on the starboard side toward the vehicle rear portion;
• a second pair of rail wheels having a second front rail wheel disposed on the port side toward the vehicle front portion, and a second rear rail wheel disposed on the port side toward the vehicle rear portion;
• wherein the first pair of rail wheels is configured to vertically raise from, and lower to, a starboard rail of the two rails, and wherein the second pair of rail wheels is configured to vertically raise from, and lower to, a port rail of the two rails, and wherein the first pair of rail wheels is configured to raise and lower independently of the second pair of rail wheels,
• wherein the first and second front rail wheels are configured to pivot independently of the first and second rear rail wheels, and
• wherein each rail wheel of the first and second rail wheel pairs includes a concave dual-flange rail wheel including:
• a rail wheel tread (i) configured to bear a weight of the rail vehicle when lowered upon the starboard or the port rail, and (ii) having a tread width greater than a rail width of an entire upper surface of the respective starboard or port rail;
• and
• inner and outer rail wheel flanges (i) fixed to and extending outwardly from the rail wheel tread vertically and horizontally, and (ii) disposed opposite one another across the rail wheel tread,
• wherein the rail wheel tread and the inner and outer rail wheel flanges collectively form a weight-bearing concave shape capable of enveloping an entire upper surface of the respective starboard or port rail when lowered thereupon,
• wherein each outer rail wheel flange is configured to apply an inward lateral force against the starboard or port rail when lowered thereupon.

A method of steering a hybrid vehicle from a standard road onto a standard rail at an intersection thereof, the hybrid vehicle including a plurality of road wheels and a plurality of vertically moveable concave dual-flange rail wheels, the method comprising;

• positioning the hybrid vehicle above the standard rail at the intersection;
• guiding, using the road wheels, a first dual-flange rail wheel of the plurality of vertically moveable concave dual-flange rail wheels directly above the standard rail, such that the first dual-flange rail wheel is aligned with a rail upper surface of the standard rail to position first inner and outer flanges of the first dual-flange rail wheel around the rail upper surface;
• lowering the first dual-flange rail wheel onto the rail upper surface of the standard rail such that (i) a first rail wheel tread of the first dual-flange rail wheel, disposed between the first inner and outer flanges, bears a weight of the hybrid vehicle on the rail upper surface, and (ii) an entirety of the rail upper surface of the standard rail is enveloped between the first inner and outer flanges;
• steering the hybrid vehicle to align a second dual-flange rail wheel of the plurality of vertically moveable concave dual-flange rail wheels with a direction of the standard rail;
• and
• lowering the second dual-flange rail wheel onto the standard rail such that (i) a second rail wheel tread of the second dual-flange rail wheel bears the weight of the hybrid vehicle, and (ii) the entirety of the rail upper surface of the standard rail is enveloped between second inner and outer flanges extending outwardly and away from the second rail wheel tread.