Railroad car having multiple penetration resistant and protective structures

4:

• The railroad car of claim 3, wherein for each cylinder force spreader, the support structure includes a plurality of members that support for the first concave cylinder engagement wall, the connector wall, the second concave cylinder engagement wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall.

5:

• The railroad car of claim 2, wherein for one of the cylinder force spreaders, a radius of curvature of a cylinder engagement wall of the cylinder force spreader is different than a radius of curvature of a wall of the cylinder adjacent to the cylinder force spreader.

6:

• The railroad car of claim 2, wherein each cylinder force spreader is made from a material having a similar surface stiffness as the cylinders.

7:

• The railroad car of claim 2, wherein each cylinder force spreader is positioned between two respective adjacent cylinders to spread out forces at which said cylinders will contact each other from along a single line of contact to a substantial portion of the two adjacent cylinders.

8:

• The railroad car of claim 2, wherein each of the cylinder assemblies includes a plurality of support members that support the plurality of force spreaders.

9:

• The railroad car of claim 2, wherein the first cylinder assembly is configured to allow the cylinders to detach from one or both of the first and second cylinder holder racks and to enable the first cylinders to bunch up to absorb certain forces to prevent rupturing of the first cylinders.

12:

• The railroad car of claim 11, wherein for each cylinder force spreader, the support structure includes a plurality of members that support for the first concave cylinder engagement wall, the connector wall, the second concave cylinder engagement wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall.

13:

• The railroad car of claim 10, wherein for one of the cylinder force spreaders, a radius of curvature of a cylinder engagement wall of the cylinder force spreader is different than a radius of curvature of a wall of the cylinder adjacent to said cylinder force spreader.

14:

• The railroad car of claim 10, wherein each cylinder force spreader is made from a material having a similar surface stiffness as the cylinders.

15:

• The railroad car of claim 10, wherein each cylinder force spreader is positioned between two adjacent cylinders to spread out forces at which the two adjacent cylinders will contact each other from along a single line of contact to a substantial portion of the two adjacent cylinders.

17:

• The railroad car cylinder force spreader of claim 16, which is positionable to spread out forces between the two adjacent cylinders from along a single line of contact to along substantial portions of the two adjacent cylinders.

18:

• The railroad car cylinder force spreader of claim 16, wherein (i) the first concave cylinder engagement wall is connected to the connector wall, the first end wall, the second end wall, and the interior support structure, and (ii) the second concave cylinder engagement wall is connected to the connector wall, the first end wall, the second end wall, and the interior support structure.

19:

• The railroad car cylinder force spreader of claim 16, wherein the interior support structure includes a plurality of members that support for the first concave cylinder engagement wall, the connector wall, the second concave cylinder engagement wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall.

20:

• The railroad car cylinder force spreader of claim 16, which is made from a material having a similar surface stiffness as the cylinders.

21:

• The railroad car cylinder force spreader of claim 16, wherein a radius of curvature of each of the cylinders engagement walls is different than the radius of curvatures of the cylinders configured to engage the cylinder engagement walls.