Railcar systems and cargo transportation methods

A method of transporting multiple types of cargo using a railcar comprising a rolling component and multiple removable cargo carriers:

• the rolling component comprising a deck and wheels, and
• the removable cargo carriers are capable of being loaded and un-loaded onto the rolling component, the removable cargo carriers comprising a combination of at least two different removable cargo carriers selected from types comprising:
• (i) a removable cargo carrier adapted to support an automobile,
• (ii) a removable cargo carrier adapted to support palletized cargo on multiple horizontal supports,
• (iii) a removable cargo carrier comprising a container having an enclosed volume adapted to contain a fluid,
• (iv) a removable cargo carrier comprising a central vertical support extending along a length of the carrier and a single horizontal support adapted to support stacked cargo on both sides of the central vertical support, and
• (v) a removable cargo carrier comprising a bin comprising a volume adapted to contain dry (non-liquid) solid particulate material, the bin having an opening at the top to place the material into the bin, the bin having an opening at the bottom to remove the material from the bin, the method comprising:
• at a first location, loading onto the rolling component a first removable cargo carrier selected from types (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v),
• transporting the rolling component and the first cargo carrier to a second location,
• at the second location, removing the first removable cargo carrier from the rolling component, and
• at the second location, loading a second removable cargo carrier onto the rolling component, the second removable cargo carrier selected from types (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v) and being different from the type of the first cargo carrier.

A top-loading enclosed railcar comprising:

• a deck having a deck front, a deck back, and two deck sides,
• wheels attached to and supporting the deck from below the deck,
• a front wall extending vertically from the deck front, a back wall extending vertically from the deck front, and two sidewalls extending vertically from each of the two deck sides, the sidewalls and deck defining an interior,
• a top opening at the top of the interior defined by a top of the front wall, a top of the back wall, and the tops of the two sidewalls, and
• a roof that is capable of an opened position that exposes the top opening and allows access to the interior, and a closed position that covers the top opening.

A method of loading one or more top-opening enclosed railcars, each comprising:

• a deck,
• wheels attached to and supporting the deck from below the deck,
• walls extending vertically from the decks to surround the deck and define a railcar interior,
• a top opening at the top of the interior defined by a top of the walls, and
• a roof that is capable of an opened position that exposes the top opening and allows access to the interior, and a closed position that covers the top opening,
• the method comprising:
• with a first train on a rail line, the first train comprising one or more top-opening enclosed railcars,
• with a second train on a rail line parallel to the first train, the second train comprising one or more top-opening enclosed railcars,
• using a crane to load cargo through a top opening of a top-opening enclosed railcar of the first train,
• using a crane to load cargo through a top opening of a top-opening enclosed railcar of the first train.

A top-loading cargo vessel comprising:

• a deck,
• a front wall extending vertically from the deck, a back wall extending vertically from the deck, and two sidewalls extending vertically from the deck,
• an interior defined by the sidewalls, front wall, and back wall,
• a top opening at the top of the interior defined by a top of the front wall, a top of the back wall, and the tops of the two sidewalls,
• a removable cargo carrier that is adapted to be loaded into the interior through the top opening, the carrier comprising:
• vertical supports,
• a horizontal support supported by the vertical supports, and
• a roof,
• wherein when the removable cargo carrier is loaded in the interior, the roof engages walls of the vessel and encloses the interior.

A top-loading cargo vessel comprising:

• a deck,
• a front wall extending vertically from the deck, a back wall extending vertically from the deck, and two sidewalls extending vertically from the deck,
• an interior defined by the sidewalls, front wall, and back wall,
• a top opening at the top of the interior defined by a top of the front wall, a top of the back wall, and the tops of the two sidewalls,
• a removable cargo carrier that is adapted to be loaded into the interior through the top opening, the carrier comprising:
• vertical supports,
• a horizontal support supported by the vertical supports,
• a roof that covers the top opening when the carrier is loaded in the interior, and
• one or more couplers that are accessible when the removable cargo carrier is loaded in the interior and the roof is covering the top opening, the one or more couplers comprising one or more lifting surfaces that may be lifted vertically to lift the carrier.

A top-loading cargo vessel comprising:

• a deck,
• a front wall extending vertically from the deck, a back wall extending vertically from the deck, and two sidewalls extending vertically from the deck,
• an interior defined by the sidewalls, front wall, and back wall,
• a top opening at the top of the interior defined by a top of the front wall, a top of the back wall, and the tops of the two sidewalls,
• a removable cargo carrier that is adapted to be loaded into the interior through the top opening, the carrier comprising:
• vertical supports,
• a horizontal support supported by the vertical supports, and
• a roof that is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the vertical supports.