Load divider assembly and door assembly for a composite railway boxcar

A railway boxcar comprising:

• a pair of opposite side walls and a pair of opposite end walls extending between the side wall to define in part a hollow interior for the boxcar;
• a generally rectangular opening formed in each side wall with a door mounted on each side wall adjacent to the respective opening for use in controlling access to the interior of the boxcar;
• a floor extending between the sidewalls and the end walls;
• the side walls, the end walls, and the floor formed as a first fiber reinforced composite unit;
• a second fiber reinforced composite unit attached to the end walls and the side walls opposite from the floor to form a roof for the boxcar;
• a door frame assembly attached to portions of each side wall adjacent to the respective opening;
• each door having a first layer of fiber reinforced plastic to define in part an interior surface for the door;
• a second layer of fiber reinforced plastic to define in part an exterior surface for the door;
• a foam core encapsulated in fiber reinforced plastic and disposed between the first layer of fiber reinforced plastic and the second layer of fiber reinforced plastic;
• and
• each door having a first position in which the door blocks the respective opening to form a thermal barrier between the interior and exterior of the boxcar and a second position which allows access to the interior of the boxcar.

An insulated railway boxcar comprising:

• a pair of opposite side walls and a pair of opposite end walls extending between the side walls to define in part a hollow interior for the boxcar;
• a door mounted on each side wall intermediate the end walls for use in controlling access to the interior of the boxcar;
• a floor extending between the side walls and the end walls;
• the side walls, the end walls, and the floor integrally molded with each other to form a first fiber reinforced composite unit;
• a second fiber reinforced composite unit molded to form a roof for the boxcar;
• the roof being attached to the end walls and the side walls of the first fiber reinforced composite unit opposite from the floor to form a composite box structure;
• an upper load divider track assembly having a pair of tracks with a first track disposed between the roof and one side wall and the second track disposed between the roof and the other side wall;
• a lower load divider track assembly having a pair of tracks with one track mounted within a first longitudinal recess formed within one side wall and the other track mounted within a second longitudinal recess formed in the other side wall;
• a generally rectangular opening formed in each side wall with each door slidably mounted adjacent to one of the respective openings and each door sized to block the respective opening;
• and
• a vertical door frame member attached to a portion of each side wall adjacent to the respective opening.

An insulated railway boxcar comprising:

• a structural supporting underframe having a plurality of interconnected longitudinal frame members having upper surfaces and a composite box structure supported on the upper surfaces of the longitudinal frame members of the underframe, the composite box structure having
• a pair of opposite sidewalls and a pair of opposite end walls extending between the side walls to define in part a hollow interior for the boxcar;
• a generally rectangular opening formed in each side wall with a door mounted on each side wall adjacent to the respective opening for use in controlling access to the interior of the boxcar;
• a floor extending between the side walls and the end walls, the floor having a lower surface supported on the upper surfaces of the longitudinal frame members of the underframe;
• a roof extending between the side walls and the end walls opposite from the floor;
• the side walls, the end walls, the floor and the roof each having a first layer of fiber reinforced plastic to define in part an interior surface for the boxcar;
• the side walls, the end walls, the floor and the roof each having a second layer of fiber reinforced plastic to define in part an exterior surface for the railway boxcar;
• a foam core disposed between the first layers of fiber reinforced plastic and the second layers of fiber reinforced plastic;
• a chamfer formed on each side of the exterior of the boxcar and extending along the length of the boxcar at the junction between the floor and the respective side wall;
• and
• an offset provided in the floor at each opening to receive a portion of the door therein.