US Railcar to Resume Production of Former Colorado Railcar DMU

In the aftermath of the shutdown of Colorado Railcar Manufacturing late last yer, private investors affiliated with Value Recovery Group Inc. (VRG) of Columbus, OH, announced that they have formed a new firm, US Railcar LLC, that will resume the manufacture of Colorado Railcar’s Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) later this year in a new manufacturing facility to be established.

Michael P. Pracht, a rail industry veteran with experience at Siemens and Ansaldo, will serve as president and CEO of US Railcar. Assets acquired by the firm include the former Colorado Railcar DMU proprietary rights and information, manufacturing documentation, inventory, and other equipment necessary for production.

“US Railcar intends to re-establish passenger train production in the United States,” said Barry H. Fromm, chairman of VRG. “We want to keep American jobs and U.S. public investment at home.”The company plans to manufacture both single- and bi-level DMUs, which are self-propelled railcars that eliminate the need for locomotive-hauled push-pull trains in lower density corridors. The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is available in both regional and intercity configurations.

VRG is an asset recovery and management firm that specializes in asset management, advisory, and asset recovery services for state and local governments, commercial banks, private investors, and several federal agencies.

(Appeared in APTA Passenger Transport Online July 20 2009)