1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-unit intermodal railroad well car, and more particularly to a well construction for a double stack container well car having a safety platform and a safety handbrake.
2. Background Information
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (such as rail, ship and truck), generally without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and losses, and allows freight to be transported faster. Reduced costs in over the road trucking is a key benefit for intra-continental use of intermodal freight transport.
The transportation of intermodal containers on railcars has been a common practice for several decades. The sizes and capacities of the containers have increased in time, and the Intermodal cargo containers (also called intermodal box containers or IBC) have now been standardized in various lengths such as, most commonly, 20, 40, and 53 feet. Intermodal cargo containers have also been standardized in width as well. In North America, intermodal containers are often shipped by rail in container well cars. These cars resemble flatcars but generally have a body 10 with a container-sized depression, or well, in the middle between the bogies or trucks 8 of the well car. This depression typically allows for sufficient clearance to allow two containers to be loaded in the car in a “double stack” arrangement. The newer container cars also are specifically built as a small articulated “unit”, most commonly in combinations of three or five, whereby two car bodies 10 are connected by a single bogie 8 as opposed to two bogies, one on each car. On some railways, particularly in the United Kingdom, the use of well cars is limited to carrying a single stacked large container.
The body of the well car is generally at a low height, with containers in the bottom tier of a double-stacked container arrangement being supported approximately 10 inches above rail in a loaded car. The side wall structures of such well cars are generally formed as a plurality of internal or external side stakes and side sheets extending between the top chord and the side sill forming a substantially closed side wall structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,954,437, which is incorporated herein by reference, provides some additional well car background while describing a lightweight truss design for the body 10 as shown in FIG. 1 which eliminates the side sheets using an open truss arrangement. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002/0174799, 2002/0173889 and 2001/0010198, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,877,266, 6,584,912, 6,505,564, 6,196,137, 6,003,445, 5,730,063, 5,465,670, 5,423,269, 5,279,230, 5,170,718, 5,085,152, 5,017,066, 4,949,646, 4,909,157 and 4,771,706, which are incorporated herein by reference, all disclose known well car arrangements.
It is common to place user walkways or platforms at the ends of the railcars and along at least a part of the length of the top of the sidewalls at the ends thereof to assist the rail operators gaining access to the car and cargo. Rail operators typically must access both ends of the car when working with a double stacked container arrangement. The platforms are of a width that accommodates a standing or walking user and are formed of a material suited to form a walkway. Ladders commonly are provided to allow easier access to the ends of the railcar and to these platforms or walkways when provided. Although the provision of platforms or walkways for the users does improve user access, the nature of well car construction has resulted in multiple levels for platforms with steps, often of uneven sizes, between the levels. The existing platforms create some difficulty and hazards for the users to navigate, although certainly easier than without any platforms at all.
Additionally a handbrake is often provided on the well cars, and it is typically provided in the middle of the end of the car such that the operators need to board the car to access and operate the handbrake.
There remains a need for improved safety in the walking platform and handbrake design in intermodal railroad well cars.