Container carrying convertible rail-highway vehicle

A convertible rail-highway vehicle having a gooseneck chassis for carrying containers comprising:

• an elongated center sill member extending longitudinally the entire length of the vehicle and having a varying cross section along its length with a rearward portion, a transition portion and a forward portion with a gooseneck of reduced section at said forward portion which has a top surface and a lower face and said transition portion located between said gooseneck and the remainder of said center sill member;
• a front coupler at one end o said chassis;
• a rear coupler at the end of said chassis opposite from said front coupler;
• a front transverse sill member attached to said forward portion of said center sill member;
• a rear transverse sill member attached to said rearward portion of said center sill member;
• first and second elongated side beam elements mounted at a forward end thereof to said front sill member and a rearward end thereof to said rear sill member with said forward end of said side beam elements being deep with a greater section modulus as compared to said rearward end and spaced on opposite sides of said center sill member at a distance to straddle and run outside of and to nest said container with the front of said side beam elements being disposed at a higher level than said center sill member at said forward end with said greater section modulus and deep side beam elements providing high bending stability in the gooseneck so as to take the high tension and compression forces through said couplers when said vehicle is used as part of a train;
• transverse members extending between said center sill member and each of said side beam elements;
• and
• said center sill member includes a longitudinal plate having a top surface which extends from said front transverse sill member to said rear transverse sill member with said plate being the lower face member of said center sill at the forward end and rearward of said gooseneck section becomes the top surface of said center sill and extends rearwardly to be coplanar with the top surface of said rear transverse sill.