Self-unloading aggregate train

A self-unloading train, the train comprising:

• a plurality of hopper cars, wherein each hopper car includes a hopper, a first bogie, and a second bogie, the hopper having a bottom and at least one gate to control a flow of material from the hopper, wherein actuation of the gate stops and commences flow of material from the hopper, each of the first bogie and the second bogie having wheels configured to travel along a railroad track, adjacent hopper cars of the plurality of hopper cars having a pivot point between the first bogie of one of the adjacent hopper cars and the second bogie of the other of the adjacent hopper cars;
• and
• a plurality of conveyor belts, each one of the plurality of conveyor belts is positioned beneath the bottom of at least one hopper of the plurality of hopper cars, the at least one gate of each hopper car being positioned to drop material from the hopper of the hopper car through the at least one gate onto the conveyor belt positioned beneath the bottom of the hopper;
• wherein each conveyor belt of the plurality of conveyor belts includes a tail pulley at a first end and a head pulley at a second end, the head pulley having a higher elevation than an elevation of the tail pulley, the first end of the conveyor belt extending beyond an end of the hopper, the second end of the conveyor belt extending toward or to, but not beyond, the pivot point between the adjacent hopper cars;
• wherein the second end of a first conveyor belt of the plurality of conveyor belts is positioned adjacent to the first end of a second conveyor belt of the plurality of conveyor belts so that material will transfer from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt near the pivot point between the adjacent hopper cars when the train is positioned on a curved section of the railroad track.

A self-unloading train, the train comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers cars including a first hopper car and a second hopper car, the first hopper car and second hopper each having
• a hopper with a bottom, a first end, a second end, and at least one gate between the first end and the second end, wherein when connected, the first hopper car and second hopper car form a longitudinally extending transfer region between the first end of the hopper of the first hopper car and the second end of the hopper of the second hopper car, the first hopper car and second hopper car having a pivot point located in the transfer region;
• and
• a conveyor belt having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being positioned beneath the bottom of the hopper at the first end of the hopper, the second portion being positioned beneath the bottom of the hopper at the second end of the hopper, the height of the first portion of the conveyor belt being lower than the height of the second portion of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being positioned to receive material from the hopper through the at least one gate;
• the conveyor belt of the second hopper car extending toward or to, but not beyond, the pivot point;
• wherein when connected, the first hopper car and second hopper car are positioned to transfer material from the conveyor belt of the second hopper car to the conveyor belt of the first hopper car near the pivot point when the train is positioned on a curved section of a railroad track.