Symmetrical multi-unit railroad car

A multi-unit articulated intermodal railroad car consisting of a number of interconnected rail road car units, the number of units of which said railroad car consists being an uneven number;

• said number of interconnected rail road car units including at least first, second and third rail road car units carried on a plurality of rail car trucks;
• said railroad car having a middle rail road car unit, said second rail road car unit being said middle rail road car unit;
• said railroad car having a transverse central plane bisecting said middle rail road car unit;
• the first rail road car unit being joined to the second rail road car unit at a first articulated connection mounted to a first of said rail car trucks and the second rail road car unit being joined to the third rail road car unit at a second articulated connection mounted to a second of said rail car trucks;
• each articulated connection having a male articulated connector portion associated with an end of one rail road car unit and a mating female articulated connector portion associated with an end of an adjacent rail road car unit;
• the second rail road car unit having a first end adjacent the first rail road car unit and a second end adjacent the third rail road car unit;
• the second rail road car unit being chosen from the set of rail road car units having (a) male articulated connector portions at both of said first and second ends thereof;
• and (b) female articulated connector portions at both of said first and second ends thereof;
• the first and third rail road car units each having an end adjacent the second rail road car unit, the first and third rail road car unit ends each having a mating articulated connector portion engageable with the respective articulated connector portion of the first and second ends of the second rail road car unit;
• the second rail road car unit having a first pair of side-bearing arms mounted to the first end thereof and a second pair of side-bearing arms mounted to the second end thereof;
• the first rail road car unit end having a third pair of side-bearing arms mounted thereto for locating opposite the first pair of side-bearing arms;
• and
• the third rail road car unit end having a fourth pair of side-bearing arms mounted thereto for locating opposite the second pair of side-bearing arms;
• the first, second, third and fourth pairs of side-bearing arms being arranged symmetrically relative to said transverse central plane.