Freight shipping containers are widely used to transport a variety of goods and products on ships, barges, railroads and over-the-highway vehicles. Container transport is very efficient since it minimizes labor costs, damage to goods and products and reduces the opportunities for pilferage and vandalism.
Containers come in different but standardized lengths. The lengths most widely used are 20, 35, 40, 45 and 48 feet. To the extent possible, the railroad cars which transport containers must be able to accommodate as many different length containers as possible.
One type of container car in use is referred to as a well car since it contains a container receiving well portion or space between car railway trucks at each end. The bottom of the well is generally at about the height of the wheel axles so that when one or more containers are placed in the well they provide a low profile and a low center of gravity. This makes it possible to stack a container on top to form a double stack container load. When containers are double stacked, the total length of the top layer can be the same as or considerably longer than the first layer because the top layer can extend over the ends of the well and partially over the trucks. Representative of such cars are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,624,188; 4,456,413; 4,091,742; and 3,357,371. Although the railroad cars disclosed in those patents, and the cars now in use, for carrying containers perform reasonably well there is a desire to have even better cars available. It is accordingly a primary purpose of this invention to provide a railroad car having a well portion for carrying shipping containers characterized by structural improvements which make it easy to manufacture, strong and light weight.