RAILWAY TRANSIT RAIL CAR WITH CENTER AXLE STEERING

摘要

Disclosed is a railway car support structure having a longitudinally extending chassis with a pair of end axle and wheel assemblies supporting the chassis and an intermediate axle and wheel assembly. Each end axle and wheel assembly is connected to the chassis for turning movement relative to the chassis for guided engagement with associated tracks. The chassis and the intermediate axle and wheel assembly are mounted so as to provide slidingly guided transverse movement of the intermediate axle and wheel assembly relative to the chassis, whereby positive engagement of the intermediate axle and wheel assembly with associated tracks is assured. A steering beam is directly connected to the intermediate axle and wheel assembly and extends to and is directly articulatingly connected with respective end axle and wheel assemblies. The steering beam is operative in a substantially constant horizontal plane attendant to lateral movement of the intermediate axle and wheel assembly to effect pivoting of the end axle and wheel assemblies for steering.