Patent ID: 8640631

Claim:
A railroad open top hopper car comprising: A pair of spaced trucks; A railcar body supported on the trucks, the body comprising a pair of side structures on opposed sides of the railcar, wherein each side structure includes (i) a top chord extending the length of the side structure; (ii) a plurality of upper side stakes extending from the top chord; (iii) an intermediate side chord extending the length of the side structure and vertically below the top chord and coupled to the upper side stakes, wherein the intermediate side chord includes upper and lower attachment webs; (iv) a plurality of lower side stakes extending from the intermediate side chord; and (v) a side sill extending the length of the side structure and below the intermediate side chord and coupled to the lower side stakes, and wherein the upper and lower attachment webs of the intermediate side chord are configured to be secured to the upper and lower side stakes, respectively, and wherein the attachment webs for the intermediate side chord are not aligned forming a contoured side structure construction of the side structures of the rail car.