Colorado Railcar
Overview
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
, railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s and diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
commuter vehicles. Both products come in single- and double-level versions. It shut down in 2008, with its assets being purchased by US Railcar
US Railcar
US Railcar is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock, including passenger cars and diesel multiple units. It was formed in 2009 and is the successor company to Colorado Railcar after that company shut down in December 2008.-History:...
.
The company was first organized as Rader Railcar. Founded by Tom Rader in 1988, the company changed its name to Colorado Railcar in November 1997.
Rader and his company were featured in the PBS-aired documentary Dome Car Magic
Dome Car Magic (film)
Dome Car Magic: A History of Railroad Dome Cars is a 2006 American television production that chronicles the history of the railroad sightseeing cars, from Burlington's 1945 Silver Dome to the full-length models operating today in Canada and Alaska....
in 2006.
In 2008, it was announced that sometime in 2007 TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
had to directly pay Colorado Railcar's suppliers in order to financially support the company.
On December 23, 2008, Colorado Railcar ceased operations, and creditors began dissolving the company after a "major liquidity problem." The shut-down was at least partially caused by the State of Vermont's cancellation of a deal to buy several DMUs for the Vermonter
Vermonter
Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
train.
In 2009, private investors affiliated with Value Recovery Group, Inc.
