Railway gondola car

A railway gondola car including trucks for movably supporting the front and rear of the car on railway tracks comprising:

• a center sill extending longitudinal between said trucks;
• a gondola body including front and rear walls, side walls and a bottom assembly;
• said bottom assembly projecting downwardly on each side of said center sill forming left and right bottom portions;
• each bottom portion having an outer edge connected to one of said sidewalls and having an inner edge connected to said center sill;
• each bottom portion extending downwardly from a midpoint of said center sill relative to said trucks to a low point adjacent to said trucks;
• and
• said bottom portions having a longitudinal radius for accommodating a vertical curve having a 300 foot radius without said bottom portions interfering with any portion of said vertical curve.

A bottom assembly for a railway gondola car having a longitudinal center sill that extends between trucks which support the car on railway tracks, comprising:

• a plurality of generally concave bottom members extending from a first end to a relatively deeper second end;
• said first ends being arranged near the midpoint of said center sill between said trucks;
• said second end being located proximate to said trucks;
• a plurality of end members connected to and closing said second end of said bottom members;
• and
• each end member having a chamfer formed in its lower portion adjacent to its respective second end of said bottom member.

A railway gondola car including trucks for movably supporting the car on railway tracks, comprising:

• a center sill extending longitudinally between said trucks;
• a gondola body including front and rear walls, side walls and a bottom assembly;
• said bottom assembly including a plurality of generally concave troughs, said troughs being located on each side of said center sill and extending between said trucks, each trough extending at a downward angle from a first end towards a second end;
• said first ends being located near the mid point of said center sill between said trucks and said second ends being located proximate said trucks;
• end members connected to and closing said second end of each trough;
• a first floor section disposed above said center sill at one end of said car;
• said first floor section positioned essentially parallel with and adjacent to said center sill;
• a second floor section disposed above said center sill at the other end of said car;
• and
• said second floor section positioned essentially parallel with and adjacent to said center sill.

A railway gondola car including trucks for movably supporting the car on railway tracks, comprising:

• a center sill extending longitudinally between said trucks;
• a gondola body including front and rear walls, side walls and a bottom assembly;
• said bottom assembly including a plurality of generally concave troughs, said troughs being located on each side of said center sill and extending between said trucks, each trough extending at a downward angle from a first end towards a second end;
• said first ends being located near the mid point of said center sill between said trucks and said second ends being located proximate said trucks;
• end members connected to and closing said second end of each trough;
• a floor section disposed above said center sill at one end of said car extending from said second ends of said troughs;
• said floor section having a first subsection adjacent to said second end of said troughs and disposed essentially parallel with and above said center sill;
• and
• said floor section having a second subsection adjacent to said first subsection disposed at an angle relative to and above said center sill.