Vehicle carrying rail road car

A rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, comprising:

• a rail road car body supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;
• said rail road car body having a deck upon which vehicles can be conducted;
• said rail road car body having a coupler end;
• a bridge plate mounted to said rail road car body at said coupler end;
• said bridge plate being movable to a length-wise extended position to engage an adjacent rail road car and to permit vehicles to be conducted between said deck and the adjacent rail road car;
• said bridge plate being maintainable in said length-wise extended position while said rail road car is in motion;
• and
• said bridge plate being movable to a cross-wise storage position relative to said rail road car body.

A combination comprising:

• a first rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles;
• a second rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, said second rail road car being releasably coupled to said first rail road car;
• and
• at least one bridge plate mounted to permit wheeled vehicles to be conducted between said first and second rail road cars when said rail road cars are stationary on straight track, said bridge plate including a rigid beam member of sufficient length to span a gap between said rail road cars when said rail road cars are stationary on straight, level track;
• said bridge plate being constrainable to remain in a spanning position between said first and second rail road cars while said train is travelling, and, when so constrained, said bridge plate having an angular degree of freedom relative to yawing motion of said first rail road car, an angular degree of freedom with respect to yawing motion of said second rail road car, and a linear degree of freedom accommodating variation of span length between said first and second rail road cars.

A combination comprising:

• a first vehicle carrying rail road car;
• a second vehicle carrying rail road car releasably coupled to said first rail road car;
• and
• a first bridge plate mounted to permit wheeled vehicles to be conducted between said first and second rail road cars when said rail road cars are stationary on straight track;
• said first bridge plate being connected to said first rail road car at a first pivot mounting;
• said first bridge plate being connected to said second rail road car at a second pivot mounting;
• said second pivot mounting including a linear extension member operable to tolerate variation in distance between said first and second pivot mountings while said rail road cars are in motion;
• and
• said first bridge plate being constrainable to remain in a spanning position between said first and second rail road cars while said rail road cars are travelling as part of a train, and, when so constrained,
• said first bridge plate having an angular degree of freedom at said first pivot mounting relative to yawing motion of said first rail road car, an angular degree of freedom at said second pivot mounting with respect to yawing motion of said second rail road car, and a linear degree of freedom provided by said linear extension member to accommodate varying span length between said first and second rail road cars.

A rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, comprising:

• a rail road car body supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;
• said rail road car body having a deck upon which vehicles can be conducted;
• a bridge plate mounted to said rail road car body;
• said bridge plate being movable to a length-wise extended position to engage an adjacent rail road car and to permit vehicles to be conducted between said deck and the adjacent rail road car;
• said bridge plate being movable to a cross-wise storage position relative to said rail road car body;
• and
• said bridge plate having a first end mounted to said rail road car body at a first fitting, and a second end locatable distant from said rail road car body, said second end having a pair of toes, and a slot defined therebetween for engaging an indexing fitting of another like rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles.

A rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, comprising:

• a rail road car body supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;
• said rail road car body having a deck upon which vehicles can be conducted;
• a bridge plate mounted to said rail road car body;
• said bridge plate being movable to a length-wise extended position to engage an adjacent rail road car and to permit vehicles to be conducted between said deck and the adjacent rail road car;
• said bridge plate being movable to a cross-wise storage position relative to said rail road car body;
• said deck has a first deck end;
• said rail road car body includes a bridge plate supporting member extending longitudinally outboard of said first deck end;
• and
• said bridge plate is borne upon said bridge plate supporting member in said cross-wise storage position.

A rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, comprising:

• a rail road car body supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;
• said rail road car body having a deck upon which vehicles can be conducted;
• a bridge plate mounted to said rail road car body;
• said bridge plate being movable to a length-wise extended position to engage an adjacent rail road car and to permit vehicles to be conducted between said deck and the adjacent rail road car;
• said bridge plate being movable to a cross-wise storage position relative to said rail road car body;
• said deck has a first deck end;
• said rail car body includes a bridge plate supporting member mounted longitudinally outboard of said first deck end;
• said bridge plate is borne on said bridge plate supporting member in said cross-wise storage position;
• and
• said bridge plate has a polymeric bearing pad for slidingly engaging said bridge plate supporting member.

A rail road car for carrying wheeled vehicles, comprising:

• a rail road car body supported on rail car trucks for rolling motion in a longitudinal direction;
• said rail road car body having a deck upon which vehicles can be conducted;
• a bridge plate mounted to said rail road car body;
• said bridge plate being movable to a length-wise extended position to engage an adjacent rail road car and to permit vehicles to be conducted between said deck and the adjacent rail road car;
• said bridge plate being movable to a cross-wise storage position relative to said rail road car body;
• and
• a transition plate mounted between said deck and said bridge plate, said transition plate having a surface upon which wheeled vehicles can be conducted between said deck and said bridge plate.