Patent ID: 7249562

Claim:
A center beam railroad car having a longitudinal centerline, the rail road car being supported by rail car trucks at either end thereof, said railroad car comprising: a cargo support structure borne between the trucks, upon which cargo can be carried; a web work assembly including an array of posts mounted along the longitudinal centerline of the railroad car, said array extending upwardly of said cargo support structure; said web work assembly having a lower region adjacent to said cargo support structure, and an upper region distant from said cargo support assembly; at least one structural member mounted to said upper region of said web work, said structural member having a longitudinally extending face against which loads placed laterally outward thereof can bear; and a reinforcement member extending laterally inward of said face to discourage lateral deflection of said lateral member under loads bearing laterally against said longitudinally extending face; and said longitudinally extending face presents a polymeric surface to loads placed laterally outward thereof.