PWVJer
Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 946
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 5: 34 pm Post subject: Accouncement of New WLE Hopper Cars From FCA |
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FreightCar America delivers multi-purpose steel triple hopper cars to Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway
Chicago, Illinois, June 30, 2006 – FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) announced today that it has begun delivering 150 multi-purpose steel triple hopper cars to Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) from its railcar production facility in Johnstown, PA.
Ed Whalen, FreightCar America senior vice president, marketing and sales, said, “The railcars in this order are newly-designed to carry the wide range of products handled by the W&LE. We are particularly pleased to build the first order of steel triple hoppers the industry has seen in many years. We already have negotiated a follow-on order for similar open top hopper cars.”
The railroad plans to carry a variety of cargos in the cars, including coal, aggregates, limestone, and taconite pellets. “These are the first new cars we’ve ever purchased and they look wonderful!” Larry Parsons, W&LE chairman & CEO said. “We anticipate using the cars to meet the needs of our customers for many years. Initially we will put the cars into iron ore service,” Parsons added.
The W&LE, now headquartered in Brewster, OH, began in 1871 connecting the Wheeling, WV coal fields and Lake Erie port cities. After WWII, the railroad was absorbed by Norfolk & Western Railway. In 1989, after the merger of the Norfolk & Western and Southern railroads, Norfolk Southern Railway dissolved the old W&LE in 1988. In 1990, a group of investors purchased a portion of the old W&LE system along with the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway and renamed the new system the W&LE. It operates today on 840 miles of track with annual revenue of over $70 million.
FreightCar America, Inc. manufactures railroad freight cars, with particular expertise in coal-carrying railcars. In addition to coal cars, FreightCar America designs and builds flat cars, mill gondola cars, intermodal cars, coil steel cars and motor vehicle carriers. It is headquartered in Chicago, and has manufacturing facilities in Danville, IL, Roanoke, VA and Johnstown, PA.
FreightCar America will complete an order of one hundred fifty 3,851 cubic-foot capacity steel triple hopper cars for Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway this summer. |
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