Railcar Loading Ramps
Railcar Loading Ramps & Rail Yard Forklift Docks
Are you tired of losing time to railcar moves that should not be necessary? We built the Dura-Ramp Rail series to solve exactly that problem. Our railcar loading ramps use a three-piece platform with fork pockets built into every section, so a forklift can position, lift, and relocate the ramp on its own without a crew standing by. The result is a ramp that bridges the gap between your yard and a boxcar door, holds up to heavy daily traffic, and keeps your team working instead of waiting. We manufacture the Rail series in-house from 100% welded steel, and we ship from stock inventory in about one to two weeks, so a rail dock upgrade does not have to sit on a quote for months.
How Railcar Loading Ramps Work With Different Boxcar Sizes
Boxcar door openings are not all the same. Single plug doors commonly run 10 to 12 feet wide, and double-door cars open to about 16 feet, with car interiors ranging from roughly 50 to 60 feet long. A ramp that only lines up with one door width forces your crew to reposition the car, the ramp, or both every time a different boxcar rolls onto the siding.
Our Rail series is built around that reality. The three-piece construction lets each section shift independently to meet the car where its door actually sits, and the height-adjustable support legs bring the deck up or down with a two-speed hand crank so the platform meets the railcar floor regardless of how that particular car sits on its trucks. Combined with fork pockets on every section, one crew can reposition the ramp between cars in minutes rather than calling in equipment to re-spot the siding.
Choosing Between the DR-RAIL12 and the DR-RAIL15
SPECS
- Model Number
- Level Length
- Ramp Length
- Overall Width
- Service Width
- Capacity
- Weight
- Service Height
- Grade
- DR-RAIL12
- 12 ft. x 12 ft.
- 25 ft.
- 77Â in.
- 72Â in.
- 20K lbs.
- 12,000 lbs.
- 42-56 in.
- 16%
- DR-RAIL15
- 15 ft. x 15 ft.
- 25Â ft.
- 95Â in.
- 89Â in.
- 30K lbs.
- 11,520 lbs.
- 42-56 in.
- 16%
DOWNLOAD the full spec sheet
DownloadIf your yard handles a mix of car types on the same siding, talk to our team before you order. We size the Rail series to your actual freight and door configuration rather than asking you to guess between two spec sheets.
Ramp Benefits
Superior Railcar Loading Functionality
Our large forklift loading ramp platform improves operating efficiency on every run. The ramp design is compatible with all boxcar door sizes, and because the three-piece platform can be arranged along a siding, we eliminate the costly railcar moves that come from spotting one car at a time.
Forklift Ramps Built to Last
We build every Rail series ramp to withstand high-traffic use in any weather. The strong I-beam construction is designed to the industry’s best safety standards, so the ramp keeps performing long after a lighter-duty platform would need replacing.
Superior Forklift Ramp Safety
Serrated steel bar grate decking gives your operators the traction they need in wet, icy, or oily rail yard conditions. The removable safety rail can be moved to either end of the ramp, so you can configure a left-hand or right-hand turn depending on how the car sits.
Maintenance-Free Forklift Loading Ramp Design
Our Rail series ramps are virtually maintenance-free, which keeps downtime out of your loading schedule. Fork pockets on every section mean fast installation and just as fast take-down when it is time to move to the next car.
We also produce completely Customized Ramps.
Learn MoreRamp Features
Height-Adjustable Support Legs
A two-speed hand crank system lets your crew raise or lower the deck in seconds, meeting the railcar wherever its floor happens to sit that day.
Quality Finishing
Every ramp is coated with high-quality polyurethane paint in the colour of your choice, standing up to rail yard exposure without flaking or rusting through.
Customization Options Available
We adapt the loading ramp design to also handle tractor-trailer loading and unloading, so the same platform can pull double duty when a truck needs the dock instead of a railcar.
Heavy-Duty I-Beam Construction
The integral I-beam structure carries the tough durability and strength your crew needs for daily rail yard cycles, car after car.
Separate Steel Loading Ramp Platform
Keeping the platform as a separate steel structure allows for easy movability, convenient operation, and no compromise on safety when the ramp needs to shift position.
Ramp Options
Electric Easy-Lift
Requires only a standard 110V electrical connection and turns raising or lowering your portable loading dock into a one-button task instead of a hand-crank job. CLICK TO LEARN MORE
Transition Plate
A 16-inch manually operated, hinged loading dock plate that replaces the integrated 6-inch dock overlap with a series of longer, door-style hinged plates for smoother equipment transitions.
Integrated Dock Leveler
Also replaces the integrated 6-inch dock overlap, adding more height adjustment along with rubber bumpers, which saves time on every truck loading application in addition to railcar work.
Removable Hand Railings
Recommended wherever foot traffic crosses the ramp regularly.
Wood Decking
Worth adding if tracked equipment will be running on the dock ramp.
Upgraded Channel Rails
Replace our standard tube railing with a solid, robust curb rail built to withstand the harshest abuse a rail yard can throw at it.
Photo Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What weight capacity do I need for railcar loading?
It depends on what is crossing the ramp. The DR-RAIL12 handles up to 20,000 lbs and covers most palletized freight moved by a standard forklift, while the DR-RAIL15 is rated to 30,000 lbs for heavier loads or equipment with a larger footprint. Tell our team what you are moving and we will match you to the right model rather than leaving you to guess.
Can one ramp service multiple railcars?
Yes. The three-piece design is built so sections can be arranged along a siding to reach several spotted cars without repositioning the whole ramp for each one, which is what lets you avoid the costly car-by-car moves that slow down a rail yard.
Will a Rail series ramp fit any boxcar door?
The platform is designed to be compatible with the range of door widths you will see across single and double-door boxcars. The height-adjustable support legs bring the deck to the railcar floor no matter how that particular car sits, so you are not stuck reconfiguring the yard for every different car that comes through.
Do I need a permanent dock to load railcars this way?
No. The Rail series is a portable, ground-to-dock solution built specifically as an alternative to permanent dock construction, so you get forklift-ready access to a rail siding without pouring concrete or committing to one fixed location.
How fast can we get a Rail series ramp installed?
We manufacture the Rail series in-house and ship from stock inventory in about one to two weeks, so your rail dock is running on a timeline measured in days, not months.
What upgrades make sense for a high-traffic rail siding?
Upgraded channel rails hold up better under repeated equipment contact, wood decking is worth adding if tracked equipment crosses the ramp, and the Electric Easy-Lift cuts the physical effort out of raising and lowering the dock multiple times a shift.
Can the Rail series also handle truck loading?
Yes. We build in customization options that adapt the same ramp design to tractor-trailer loading and unloading, so one platform can flex between rail and truck freight as your yard’s needs change.
