Process for mechanical/welded assembly of chassis elements for railway vehicles

A process for use in assembling a railway vehicle chassis, comprising the following steps:

• providing a girder and crossbrace for a railway vehicle chassis end, the girder and crossbrace each having a substantially vertical web, a substantially horizontal upper flange joined to an upper part of the web, and a substantial horizontal lower flange joined to a lower part of the web and opposed to the upper flange,
• cutting the upper and lower girder flanges at one longitudinal end of the girder such that a corresponding end of the girder web extends longitudinally beyond resulting cut end edges of the girder flanges,
• cutting the upper and lower flanges of the crossbrace at one side of the crossbrace to form upper and lower attachment bosses with edges complementary to the cut end edges of the girder flanges,
• positioning the girder and crossbrace such that the cut end edges of the girder flanges substantially abut the complementary edges of the attachment bosses, and
• welding the substantially abutted portions of the girder and crossbrace together.