Patent ID: 8371236

Claim:
A rail car for transporting vehicles comprising: a rail car body having a roof, side walls, and a floor for supporting a first series of vehicles in end to end relation longitudinally within the rail car body; track engaging wheels for rollingly supporting the rail car body on a pair of rail tracks; an adjustable deck adjustably mounted within the rail car body for supporting a second series of vehicles in end to end relation longitudinally within the rail car body; adjustable supports on opposing lateral sides of the adjustable deck for vertically adjusting a position of the adjustable deck within the rail car body, the adjustable deck being vertically movable by the adjustable supports between at least a higher, first position and a lower second position each spaced above the floor and below the roof; a removable intermediate deck for supporting a third series of vehicles in end to end relation longitudinally within the rail car body, the removable intermediate deck configured for movement longitudinally into and out of the rail car body independently of the adjustable deck for installation and removal of the removable intermediate deck with respect to the rail car body while the adjustable deck remains in the rail car body in the position adjusted by the adjustable supports; wherein removability of the removable intermediate deck enables the rail car to be used in (a) a two tier configuration with the removable intermediate deck removed and the adjustable deck in the lower second position for transporting the first and second series of vehicles and (b) a three tier configuration with the removable intermediate deck in the rail car body and the adjustable deck in the higher first position for transporting the first, second, and third series of vehicles.