408 width to the smaller second end 412 width this sloped portion 416 of the platforms 104 includes the storage compartment 124 the two second ends 412 of the platform 104 are adapted to be interconnected to each other the two first ends 408 of the platform 104 are adapted to interconnect to either the tractor 116 or the caboose 120 as described above as can be seen in fig4 d the platform 104 includes two side channels 420 a b typically the channel 420 a proximate to the work zone is adapted to receive a ballast box 112 both in the mobile and the deployed positions fig4 d 4 e and 4 f further show the structural members of each of the platforms the platforms are identically constructed but are mirror images of one another the traffic facing or elongated side 460 of the platform 104 includes upper middle and lower horizontal structural members 464 468 and 472 the upper middle and lower horizontal structural members are at the same heights as and similar dimensions to the upper middle and lower horizontal beams 328 respectively the members 464 468 and 472 unlike the beams 328 are oriented with the long dimension vertical and the shorter dimension horizontal by orienting.