Dropped deck center beam rail road car with shallow center sill

A dropped deck center beam rail road car, comprising:

• a center sill carried by rail car trucks for rolling motion along rail road tracks;
• a deck structure upon which lading can be side loaded, said deck structure extending laterally outward from said center sill and having a depressed medial portion;
• upstanding bulkheads mounted at opposite end of said deck structure;
• a central beam assembly standing upwardly from said center sill and running longitudinally between said bulkheads;
• and
• said center sill having end portions and a downwardly stepped medial portion, said end portions having uppermost flange members, and said downwardly stepped medial portion having an uppermost flange member;
• and
• said uppermost flange member of said medial portion lying at a lower height than said uppermost flange member of one of said end portions.

A dropped deck center beam rail road car, comprising:

• a lading support structure carried on rail road car trucks for rolling motion along rail road tracks, said lading support structure having upstanding bulkheads mounted at opposite ends thereof, a laterally extending deck structure, and a central beam assembly standing upwardly of said laterally extending deck structure;
• a coupler mounted at one of said ends of said lading support structure, said coupler having a coupler centerline height;
• said deck structure having a pair of end portions and a medial portion, said end portions being stepped upwardly relative to said medial portion;
• said central beam assembly including a webwork assembly extending upwardly of said medial portion of said deck structure to a longitudinally extending top chord;
• and
• said web work assembly presenting a laterally outwardly facing lading contact surface against which lading can be placed;
• said laterally outwardly facing lading contact surface being continuous from said medial portion of said deck structure to said top chord;
• and
• said web work assembly includes an array of posts extending between said deck structure and said top chord, and at least a first portion of said array of posts extending upwardly of said medial portion of said deck structure includes posts having a lower end extending below said coupler centerline height.

A dropped deck center beam rail road car, comprising:

• a lading support structure carried on rail road car trucks for rolling motion along rail road tracks, said lading support structure having upstanding bulkheads mounted at opposite ends thereof, a laterally extending deck structure, and a central beam assembly standing upwardly of said laterally extending deck structure;
• a coupler mounted at one of said ends of said lading support structure, said coupler having a coupler centerline height;
• said deck structure having a pair of end portions and a medial portion, said end portions being stepped upwardly relative to said medial portion;
• said central beam assembly including a webwork assembly extending upwardly of said medial portion of said deck structure to a longitudinally extending top chord;
• and
• said web work assembly presenting a laterally outwardly facing lading contact surface against which lading can be placed;
• said laterally outwardly facing lading contact surface being continuous from said medial portion of said deck structure to said top chord;
• and
• said web work assembly extends upwardly from a centersill, and a portion of said center sill has a top flange lying at a height lower than said coupler centerline height.