Bankrupt Columbus Castings, which specialized in making parts for rail passenger cars - especially frames - has laid off all of it's employees and sold it's facilities to vulture capitalists Reich Brothers, Inc., which will sell the property for acreage. So, now the U. S. has lost the capability to make major frame components for rail passenger cars.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories ... roval.html

Someone should think about saving the molds and patterns if they can.

Were they involved with S.E.P.T.A.'s Silverliner V defects? Will this bring the car builder Hyundai Rotem down?

Previously known as 'Buckeye Steel Castings.' Market for cast passenger trucks has diminished, as 'state-of-the-art' is currently fabricated trucks.

Dave

Tell that to Nippon Shayro, who they were a supplier to (though N-S has had its own share of problems recently).

Besides the patters and moulds, I believe Columbus Castings had a large supply of drawings and other materials. They had purchased the rights, patterns and moulds from General Steel Industries as well.

Is this the same firm for which knuckle couplers are known in the UK as "Buckeye couplers"?

-Philip Marshall

Also the builder of the Buckeye six wheeled trucks found on some steam locomotive tenders.

The original French trucks on the Superliner I cars were fabricated and they rode rough, the Superliner IIs had Buckeye trucks I believe and rode much better, though that is a small sample.

I seem to recall a decade or so ago another car parts manufacturer on the verge of closing being bought by a couple of the major railroads, couplers or wheels possibly I can't remember.

FYI...

The list of domestic railroad rolling stock suppliers have been contracting, consolidating, moving to foreign ownership...for decades.

Forty years ago, GE was the 800 pound gorilla with respect to the supply of electric drives for commuter stock. Today, Mitsubishi is perhaps the largest supplier with respect to the installed base, i.e., MTA M-7's, M-8's and the forthcoming M-9's. Siemens and Alstom are also represented across North America.

With respect to complete vehicles, Stadler Railcar (Swiss) has won a good sized contract to supply m.u. cars to a California commuter operation. Their first large North American contract. Add their name to the 'domestic' list of passenger railcar suppliers: Bombardier, K-S, Hyundai-Rotem, CRRC, Siemens, Kawasaki, CAF, Alstom...Brookville and United Street Car.

Life goes on...

As for the old Buckeye, I would imagine the IP will be packaged up and offered for sale. Since the heavy foundry business has been on the retreat in North America for years, one can only guess who the potential buyers might be.

Dave