RAILWAY CAR UNDERBODY STRUCTURE AND METHOD

An improved railway car underbody support structure and method for economically constructing same. The structure includes a center still assembly having a pair of vertically disposed side plates spaced equidistant from the longitudinal center line of the car body and extending from a coupler longitudinally inboard to a wheeled truck assembly. The truck assembly carries two laterally spaced side bearing members for bearing the load of the car body during lateral tilting of the car body. One of the improved features is a unitary metal member cut from an economically patterned metal plate. The unitary members, which are themselves free of any weld lines which may crack under the extreme loads exerted on railway cars, are welded to the underside edge of a respective side plate and welded together beneath the center line of the car body. The unitary members act as, 1) a bottom side flange to stiffen the side plates, 2) a bottom cover plate to help integrate the sill and 3) as a bottom bolster support which extends over a respective side bearing member. The invention also features a mini-bolster inwardly spaced from the main bolster to distribute the car body load through the sill assembly; a unique side plate upper edge configuration and weld line placement; and a pair of reinforcing bars welded beneath the end of the car body on the inside vertical surfaces of respective side plates; all to provide improved structural underbody integrity and performance.