Aerodynamically structured railway car with corner, air flow guides

A cargo carrying unit comprising:

• first and second cargo carrying modules couplingly engaged in a series;
• force means connected with said unit for moving said unit in a first direction;
• each of said modules having;
• first and second longitudinally spaced generally laterally extending end walls and;
• a pair of laterally spaced generally longitudinally extending side walls connecting said end walls said end walls including support members;
• the second end wall of said first module and the first end wall of said second module defining a gap therebetween the first and second modules;
• the side walls of said first and second modules each having a substantially smooth outer surface portion for causing air to flow smoothly along said outer surface portions of said side walls for reducing aerodynamic drag on the associated module;
• first air flow guiding means operatively associated with said second end wall of said first module;
• second air flow guiding means operatively associated with said first end wall of said second module;
• said first air flow guiding means guiding air flow across the gap and said second air flow guiding means receiving air flow from said first air flow guiding means when the cargo carrying unit is moved in the first direction;
• said second airflow guiding means guiding airflow across the gap when the cargo carrying unit is moved in the direction opposite to said first direction;
• and
• said first airflow guiding means receiving airflow from said second airflow guiding means when the cargo carrying unit is moved in said opposite direction whereby airflow is conformingly guided along the sides of the cargo carrying unit and aerodynamic drag on the cargo carrying unit is reduced during movement in the first direction and the opposite direction;
• each of said airflow guiding means comprising a pair of generally vertically extending portions each being connected with a respective side wall of the associated module and extending curvingly and laterally inward beyond the end wall of the associated module into the gap;
• each curved portion having a substantially constant, horizontal cross section in the shape of a convex curve, one end of the convex curve contacting the end wall and the opposite end being spaced longitudinally from the end wall so that each curved portion has a laterally inward terminal edge portion spaced longitudinally from the end wall of the associated module;
• said curved portions each forming with the substantially smooth outer surface portion of the respective side wall a substantially smooth outer surface for conformingly guiding airflow between said substantially smooth outer surface portion and said curved portion whereby the cargo carrying unit experiences reduced aerodynamic drag when moving in the first direction and the opposite direction.