| 摘要 |
A railcar moving vehicle having a load-shifting device for shifting a portion of the weight of a railcar to the railcar moving vehicle. The railcar moving vehicle has a frame, an engine, and at least one pair of drive wheels disposed toward the rearward portion of the frame and configured to ride on railroad track. The load-shifting device is connected to the vehicle frame rearward of the drive wheels, and includes a rearward facing coupler which is configured to transmit vertical and horizontal forces to a coupled railcar. The coupler is moveable by means of the load shifting device between a first lowered position for coupling with a standard railcar coupler, and a second position above and forward of the first position, thereby imposing a portion of the weight of the railcar upon the frame of the railcar moving vehicle, and moving the bearing point of the weight closer to above the drive wheels. In the preferred embodiment, the lifting means is hydraulically powered and moves the coupler from the first position to the second position in a substantially linear, diagonally upward motion at an angle of approximately 45°. The railcar moving vehicle is preferably a modified semi tractor having a standard fifth wheel connector for connection to a standard highway trailer, and is provided with means for selectively installing rubber tired wheels to allow operation of the vehicle as a trailer moving vehicle on roadways.
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