Patent ID: 8302538
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: B61D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of transporting newly manufactured passenger cars, comprising: considering a predetermined area, which is the United States of America; considering a predetermined time period; determining a distribution of vehicle heights for passenger cars sold within said predetermined area and said predetermined time period; assessing weight, bottom clearance, length, width and Cg for said passenger cars; providing a plurality of single-unit tri-level auto rack railcars, each of said railcars comprising a flat car and a fixed-deck rack built on said flat car; each of said railcars having (a) three decks on a flat car having 39.5″ ATR running surface, the three decks being permanently fixed along their entire lengths and being capable of transporting in commercial rail service over 90% of passenger cars manufactured in said predetermined area and predetermined time period with a load factor of at least 15 with minimum vertical clearances to accommodate the vehicle heights of said over 90% of passenger cars, while also accommodating at least 3 in. of vertical displacement of said vehicles on their suspension systems on all three decks, said minimum vertical clearances being between 64 and 66 in. (b) substantially horizontal deck configurations to meet ground clearance requirements for said over 90% of passenger cars on all 3 decks, (c) minimum horizontal clearances to accommodate widths of said over 90% of passenger cars on all three decks, and (d) an overall height of 20′2″; circus loading individual passenger cars onto a plurality of said railcars with a load factor of at least 15 and without restriction as to which individual passenger cars are positioned on which decks, with said decks remaining fixed throughout said loading; transporting said individual passenger cars from a point of origin to a destination by rail; and unloading said individual passenger cars at said destination using circus loading techniques, with said decks remaining fixed throughout said unloading operation.