Railway rolling stock – Trains – Articulated
Patent
1985-05-29
1987-08-11
Reese, Randolph A.
Railway rolling stock
Trains
Articulated
280408, 280476R, 410 53, B61D 312, B61F 312
Patent
active
046853995
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a bogie suitable for use in an intermodal transport system, for example for intermodal transport of passengers, freight or of other items not primarily intended as transport units, and to such an intermodal transport system. In particular, the system may be used for routes where it may be expedient to undertake the trunk haul by one transport mode, such as railway, while local collection and delivery are undertaken by another transport mode, such as road.
It is desirable to convey a cargo from origin to destination without the need to tranship the cargo from one vehicle or container to another during a journey that employs two or more transport modes. In this respect, capital equipment is under-utilized (time related cost) and makes an unproductive increase in weight of equipment being used to convey the cargo (movement related cost) when a fixed part of a vehicle adapted for one transport mode is conveyed by a further vehicle adapted for the second transport mode. In addition, auxiliary equipment utilized during a discrete movement by a transport mode for which the vehicle is not fully equipped, may duplicate a measure of the inherent capability of the vehicle.
It is also desirable to simplify the means by which the transfer from one mode to another is accomplished so as to obviate the need for capital intensive equipment such as straddle cranes and thus enable such transfer to be accomplished at remote or random locations without commitment to intensive use of sites.
Carriage of freight between origin and destination should be arranged for the minimum expenditure in cost and/or time. It is not always most economic to transfer freight wholly by road. Often, the fuel and manpower-saving potential of rail carriage are used en route for non rail-connected origins or destinations, in which case the intermodal transfer of the conveying vehicle or container from road to rail and vice-versa should be made as quick and simple as possible.
BACKGROUND ART
Several systems have been proposed to implement intermodal transfer as a commercially viable alternative to the wholly road freight services which are available. Such systems include road semi-trailers or complete lorries on rail wagons, that is, "Piggyback" transport (T.O.F.C.), in Europe, North America and Australia, and the inland movement of containers or "swap bodies" (C.O.F.C.). The disadvantage of these systems is that although transfer is simplified, the equipment required to accomplish it is large, costly and, consequently, few and far between. The rail vehicles add considerable tare weight to the trunk haul and items of the equipment are carried about as additional tare rather than performing assets. That these systems are unsatisfactory is amply demonstrated by the number of attempts there have been to develop smaller or cheaper container transfer equipment, lighter "Piggyback" rail wagons and by the success of such systems as British Rail's Speedlink general merchandise trains which can involve considerable transhipment of goods between rail and road vehicles at each end of the rail journey.
The "Road-Railer" freight vehicles of the Bi-Modal Corporation of America represent one attempt to develop a vehicle which would enable the railway to provide a service comparable to those offering wholly road freight, door-to-door services using a conventional articulated lorry. However, "Road-Railer" vehicles are not compatible with other rail traffic and their use must be limited to dedicated services over specially authorized routes capable of taking their high (27 ton) axle loads. In essence, the vehicle is a road type, articulated lorry trailer, adapted by means of a special coupling and a retractable rail axle to run on rails. A train has to be formed behind a special truck to carry the front end of the first trailer and to couple to the rail locomotive. Once formed, such a train cannot be broken or reshunted in any normal railway manner without completely dismantling it because it becomes articulated throughout
REFERENCES:
patent: 2036535 (1936-04-01), Nelson
patent: 2263578 (1941-11-01), Hickman
patent: 2709969 (1955-06-01), Andert
patent: 2787971 (1957-04-01), Obes
patent: 2841094 (1958-07-01), Schumacher
patent: 4111451 (1978-09-01), Pinto
patent: 4179997 (1979-12-01), Kirwan
patent: 4416571 (1983-11-01), Krause
LandOfFree
Intermodal transport does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Intermodal transport, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Intermodal transport will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-396865