Private investors affiliated with Columbus, Ohio-based Value Recovery Group Inc. (VRG) acquired the Colorado Railcar Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) and US Railcar LLC will resume manufacturing in a new facility to be established later this year pending state/local incentives and final round investments. Assets acquired by US Railcar include the former Colorado Railcar DMU proprietary rights and information, manufacturing documentation, inventory and other equipment necessary for production.

US Railcar will be led by Michael P. Pracht, its president/CEO. The company will manufacture both single- and bi-level DMUs, which are self-propelled railcars eliminating the need for more costly locomotive-hauled push/pull trains in lower density corridors. Both platforms are fully compliant with existing Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards for crashworthiness as established by the U.S. Department of Transportation and approved for immediate use on the national rail system.

The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is currently the only FRA-compliant DMU operating in revenue service in North America.  Available in both regional and intercity configurations, the US Railcar DMU is uniquely suited for incremental corridor development at speeds from 79 mph to 90 mph. Platform enhancements currently anticipated include a diesel-electric upgrade, increasing speeds to 125 mph.

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, including the FDIC. It also manages a Brownfield remediation and redevelopment partnership and serves as consultant to advanced energy programs for state and federal agencies.