Patent ID: 8641339

Claim:
An apparatus for transporting a wind turbine blade over a railroad, the apparatus comprising: a blade root support connected to a first railcar, the blade root support configured to receive a root end of the blade, a tip displacement limiter connected to a second railcar, and a mid span support connected to one of the first or second railcars and positioned between the blade root support and the tip displacement limiter, wherein the mid span support is configured to receive a midsection of the blade; and wherein the tip displacement limiter comprises a vertically extending bumper positioned outboard of the railcar to contact the blade at a point on the blade within 10% of an axial length of the blade from a tip end, such that when the blade is transported around a design basis curve in the railroad, the tip displacement limiter restricts the blade tip end from extending beyond a lateral transportation limit by exerting a force on the blade which is counter to a force exerted on the blade by the mid span support, resulting in a bending of the blade only as necessary to prevent the tip end from extending beyond the lateral transportation limit.