Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of retirement plans	5
Defined Benefit Plan Number	3
Active Defined Benefit Plan Number	1
Inactive Defined Benefit Plan Number	2
Defined Contribution Plan Number	2
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	$ 741
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	421
Salaried Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Description of Postemployment Benefits	The Company has a domestic defined contribution plan that covers all non-union hourly and all salaried employees (Salaried Plan). The Salaried Plan permits both pre-tax and after-tax employee contributions. Participants can contribute, subject to statutory limitations, between 1% and 75% of eligible pre-tax pay and between 1% and 100% of eligible after-tax pay. The Company's employer match is 100% of the first 1% of deferred eligible compensation and up to 50% of the next 6%, based on years of service, of deferred eligible compensation, for a total maximum potential match of 4%. The Company may also make discretionary contributions to the Salaried Plan.
Union Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Description of Postemployment Benefits	The Company also has a domestic defined contribution plan for union hourly employees with contributions made by both the participants and the Company based on various formulas (Union Plan).
United Kingdom Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	231
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	$ 110
Description of Postemployment Benefits	The Company's Portec Rail subsidiary also maintains a defined contribution plan covering substantially all employees of Portec Rail Products (UK) Ltd (UK Plan). Benefits under the UK Plan are provided under no formal written agreement. Under the terms of the defined contribution UK Plan, Portec Rail may make non-elective contributions of between 3% and 10% of each employee's compensation.
Kelsan Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Description of Postemployment Benefits	Finally, the Company's Portec Rail subsidiary maintains a defined contribution plan covering substantially all of the employees of Kelsan Technologies Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (Kelsan Plan). Under the terms of the Kelsan Plan, Portec Rail makes a non-elective contribution of 4% of each employee's compensation and may also contribute 30% of the first 6% of each employee's compensation contributed to the Kelsan Plan.
Canadian Employees [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan Number	2
Description of Postemployment Benefits	The Company's Portec Rail subsidiary maintains a defined contribution plan covering all non-union employees at its Montreal, Quebec, Canada location (Montreal Plan). Under the terms of the Montreal Plan, Portec Rail may contribute 4% of each employee's compensation as a non-elective contribution and may also contribute 30% of the first 6% of each employee's compensation contributed to the Montreal Plan.