Center beam car with depressed cargo-carrying area

1. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending substantially between said opposite sides and said opposite ends; and

(b) a center beam extending along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body, and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, said top chord having a selectively affixable member including a lateral face arranged to contact a cargo supported by said floor and resist a lateral displacement thereof in a direction substantially normal to said lateral face.

2. The car body of claim 1 wherein said selectively affixable member including a lateral face of said top chord comprises a material having a low coefficient of friction, said coefficient of friction facilitating a displacement of said cargo in a direction substantially parallel to said lateral face.

3. The car body of claim 2 wherein said material having a low coefficient of friction comprises polyethylene.

4. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending substantially between said opposite sides and said opposite ends;

(b) a center beam extending along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body, and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, said top chord having a top, a bottom, and a lateral wall arranged to resist a displacement of a cargo supported by said floor in a direction normal to said lateral wall; and

(c) a top chord cover selectively affixable to said top and said bottom of said top chord and extending therebetween to substantially cover said lateral wall of said top chord.

5. The car body of claim 4 wherein said top chord cover comprises a material having a low coefficient of friction, said coefficient of friction facilitating a displacement of said cargo in a direction parallel to said lateral face.

6. The car body of claim 5 wherein said material having a low coefficient of friction comprises polyethylene.

7. In a freight-carrying center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a center beam extending longitudinally along said body, the center beam including

(i) a center sill extending longitudinally along said body,

(ii) a top chord parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, and

(iii) an upright member extending between said center sill and said top chord;

(b) wherein said center sill includes a top plate and a side plate, said side plate having a first lateral face and extending upward a distance above said top plate and including an upper margin;

(c) wherein said unright member includes a flange plate having a second lateral face, a bottom margin of said flange plate being welded to said upper margin of said side plate with said first and second lateral faces located in a common plane; and

(d) wherein said top chord includes a selectively affixable top chord cover including a lateral face arranged to contact a cargo of said car and resist a displacement of said cargo substantially normal to said top chord.

8. The car body of claim 7 wherein said side plate of said center sill is thicker than said flange plate, and including a backing bar extending closely along an inner side of said flange plate and in contact with said upper margin of said side plate of said center sill.

9. The car body of claim 7 wherein said selectively affixable top chord cover and said flange plate are located in said common plane.

10. The car body of claim 7 wherein said top chord cover comprises a material having a low coefficient of friction, said low coefficient of friction facilitating displacement of said cargo in a direction parallel to said lateral face.

11. The car body of claim 10 wherein said material having a low coefficient of friction comprises polyethylene.

12. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending substantially between said opposite sides and said opposite ends;

(b) a center beam extending along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body, and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, said top chord having a top, a bottom, and a lateral wall arranged to resist a displacement of a cargo supported by said floor in a direction normal to said lateral wall; and

(c) a top chord cover comprising a web, a pair of sides connected by and projecting substantially normal to said web, and a leg projecting from at least one of said sides, said top chord cover arranged for selective engagement with said top chord wherein said sides are substantially coextensive with said lateral wall, said web is substantially coplanar with said top wall, and said leg is in an interfering relationship with said bottom wall.

13. The car body of claim 12 wherein said top chord cover comprises a material having a low coefficient of friction, said low coefficient of friction facilitating displacement of said cargo in a direction parallel to said lateral face.

14. The car body of claim 12 wherein said material having a low coefficient of friction comprises polyethylene.

15. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending between said opposite sides and said opposite ends;

(b) a center beam extending longitudinally along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill said top chord having a top surface and opposed side surfaces; and

(c) a member selectively affixable to and removable from said top chord, said member extending over at least a portion of said top surface and presenting a smooth, non-abrasive lateral face arranged to contact, and substantially avoid damage to, protective sheeting material on cargo.

16. The car body of claim 15 where said top chord has a bottom surface and said member extends over at least a portion of said bottom surface.

17. The car body of claim 15 wherein said lateral face of said member is of a material having a low coefficient of friction, said coefficient of friction facilitating a displacement of said cargo in a direction substantially parallel to said lateral face.

18. The car body of claim 17 wherein said lateral face of said top chord cover is of a material having a low coefficient of friction.

19. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending between said opposite sides and said opposite ends;

(b) a center beam extending longitudinally along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, said top chord having a top wall and a lateral wall; and

(c) a top chord cover extending over a portion of said top wall and substantially covering said lateral wall, said top chord cover being selectively affixable to and removable from said top wall and having a smooth lateral face facilitating displacement of said cargo in a direction parallel to said lateral face.

20. In a freight-carrying, center-beam railroad car having a pair of opposite sides, a length, and a pair of opposite ends, a car body, comprising:

(a) a cargo supporting floor extending between said opposite sides and said opposite ends;

(b) a center beam extending longitudinally along said body, said center beam including a center sill extending longitudinally along said body and a top chord extending parallel with and spaced upwardly above and apart from said center sill, said top chord having a top wall; and

(c) a top chord cover selectively affixable to, and removable from, said top wall and presenting a smooth, nonabrasive lateral face arranged to contact, and substantially avoid damage to, a protective sheeting material on cargo.