Railroad hopper car with flow through structure

A railroad hopper car having:

• a first hopper and a second hopper;
• a first discharge gate, said first discharge gate being a first sliding discharge gate;
• said first discharge gate being a first multi-opening discharge gate;
• a second discharge gate, said second discharge gate being a second sliding discharge gate;
• said second discharge gate being a second multi-opening discharge gate;
• a first shear force transfer structure being mounted over said first discharge gate, said first shear structure being perforated to permit passage of lading therethrough to said first discharge gate;
• a second shear force transfer structure being mounted over said second discharge gate, said second shear structure being perforated to permit passage of lading therethrough to said second discharge gate;
• said first shear force transfer structure including a first inclined slope sheet that extends from side to side of said car and that is perforated;
• said second shear force transfer structure including a second inclined slope sheet that extends from side to side of said car and that is perforated;
• said car having a first end and a second end;
• and
• said car having a first stub sill mounted at said first end of said car and a second stub sill mounted at said second end of said car.

A discharge gate for a railroad hopper car, the railroad car having a rolling direction, the hopper car having a bottom discharge section to which, in use, said gate is mounted, said gate comprising:

• a frame and a pair of first and second doors mounted to said frame, said first and second doors being sliding doors and being opposed to one another;
• said frame having a length and a width, said length being oriented in the rolling direction and said width being oriented cross-wise to the rolling direction;
• said first and second doors being movable between a first position and a second position;
• in said first position said first and second doors obstructing egress of lading from said hopper car;
• in said second position said first and second doors being positioned to permit egress of lading from said hopper car;
• said gate having a drive transmission said drive transmission including an input shaft extending cross-wise;
• said drive transmission having a pair of first and second output shafts, said output shafts extending in the cross-wise direction and being spaced apart in the lengthwise direction;
• said output shafts being mounted to drive said first and second first and second doors between said first position and said second position;
• and
• there being a transmission member linking said input shaft to said output shafts.