Amsted acquires Meridian assets - Industry Outlook - ASF-Keystone buys rights to Swing Motion design - Brief Article

Railway Age, May, 2003

ASF-Keystone, a division of Amsted Industries, acquired the rights to manufacture Swing Motion design suspension systems for railroad freight cars from Meridian Rail. ASF-Keystone also acquired an interest in two Chinese joint ventures--the Zhuzhou foundry in Hunan Province, a manufacturer of railroad side frames and bolsters including the Swing Motion truck; and Datong Locomotive Works in Shanxi Province, a manufacturer of cast steel railroad wheels.

ASF-Keystone said it hopes to broaden the application of Swing Motion to other car types in the future, and that the acquisition of the Chinese joint ventures is designed to provide the growing Chinese markets with a continued source of Swing Motion trucks and cast steel wheels. The acquisition also will provide both the Zhuzhou foundry and the Datong wheel plant with important technical support from the Amsted Rail Group, made up of ASF-Keystone, Brenco/QBS, and Griffin Wheel Co.