Patent ID: 8568071

Claim:
A rail car safety system comprising: a) a tri level rail car having a bottom level, a middle level, and a top level, the bottom level having a floor, the top level having a roof, and a first divider between the middle level and the bottom level and a second divider between the middle level and the top level, each level having an exit at least 8 feet wide defined by side walls of the rail car; and b) a flexible net system removably secured across only a portion of each exit, the net system comprising a lower segment for the bottom level, a central segment for the middle level, and an upper segment for the top level, each net segment being sufficiently large to block at least 50% of the width of its respective exit and sufficiently small to leave an egress and entrance at least about 2 feet wide between the net segment and each of the side walls, each segment comprising criss-crossed straps with a bottom strap, a top strap, opposed side straps, a side strap attachment device secured to each side strap, and a pair of attachment sections extending beyond the top strap, the lower segment removably attached to the floor by a pair of hooks, the central segment removably attached to the first divider by a pair of hooks, the upper segment removably attached to the second divider by a pair of hooks, each lower segment attachment segment removably secured to one of the middle segment side strap attachment devices, each central segment side strap removably to one of the upper segment side strap attachment devices, and each upper segment side strap removably secured by a hook to the roof or an upper portion of one of the side walls; and c) a ratchet for each upper segment attachment segment for tightening.