Self-unloading train for bulk commodities

摘要

A unit train consisting of a plurality of hopper cars and a multi-purpose trailer car. The hoppers cars have one or more hoppers each having a bottom discharge opening and a controllable gate. An endless belt conveyor traverses the length of the train including a portion of the trailer car, and underlies the hopper discharge gates so that the hoppers may be emptied sequentially onto the train conveyor to unload the entire train. The trailer car includes a lift portion of the train conveyor to elevate the material for discharge onto a transfer conveyor carried on the trailer car. The elongated transfer conveyor is pivotally mounted at the receiving end to be swung laterally to discharge the material received from the train conveyor at some selected point relative to the trailer car. The trailer car may include the power systems and control systems for operating the conveyors and the hopper gates. The train is self-unloading by depositing the train load in a window alongside the track while the train is moving slowly. For unloading the train in a stationary position, the transfer conveyor may deposit the material onto a portable stacking conveyor which may then deposit the entire train load in one or more stock piles which may be 30 feet high and located some distance from the track.