Business Segments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Business Segments [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]

		2015
										Expenditures
		Net		Segment		Segment		Depreciation/		for Long-Lived
		Sales		Profit (Loss)		Assets		Amortization		Assets
Rail Products and Services	$	328,982	$	27,037	$	241,222	$	8,098	$	4,273
Construction Products		176,394		12,958		86,335		2,720		1,260
Tubular and Energy Services		119,147		(81,344)	*	216,715		14,857		4,303
Total	$	624,523	$	(41,349)	$	544,272	$	25,675	$	9,836

		2014
										Expenditures
		Net		Segment		Segment		Depreciation/		for Long-Lived
		Sales		Profit		Assets		Amortization		Assets
Rail Products and Services	$	374,615	$	30,093	$	239,951	$	6,153	$	5,115
Construction Products		178,847		13,106		102,978		2,232		3,343
Tubular and Energy Services		53,730		5,350		130,289		3,208		6,988
Total	$	607,192	$	48,549	$	473,218	$	11,593	$	15,446

		2013
										Expenditures
		Net		Segment		Segment		Depreciation/		for Long-Lived
		Sales		Profit		Assets		Amortization		Assets
Rail Products and Services	$	363,667	$	28,692	$	252,049	$	6,505	$	3,383
Construction Products		191,751		10,206		77,900		1,758		1,805
Tubular and Energy Services		42,545		9,208		51,497		1,054		2,460
Total	$	597,963	$	48,106	$	381,446	$	9,317	$	7,648

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

(Loss) income from Operations:
Total for reportable segments	$	(41,349)	$	48,549	$	48,106
Adjustment of inventory to LIFO		2,468		738		37
Unallocated interest income		206		530		659
Unallocated equity in (loss) income of nonconsolidated investments		(413)		1,282		1,316
Unallocated corporate amounts		(11,489)		(12,039)		(5,980)
(Loss) income from operations, before income taxes	$	(50,577)	$	39,060	$	44,138

Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

Assets:
Total for reportable segments	$	544,272	$	473,218	$	381,446
Unallocated corporate assets		28,209		26,788		40,774
LIFO		(5,821)		(8,289)		(9,027)
Total assets	$	566,660	$	491,717	$	413,193

Reconciliation of Other Significant Reconciling Items from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

Depreciation/Amortization:
Total for reportable segments	$	25,675	$	11,593	$	9,317
Other		999		984		685
Total	$	26,674	$	12,577	$	10,002

Expenditures for Long-Lived Assets:
Total for reportable segments	$	9,836	$	15,446	$	7,648
Expenditures funded through financing agreements		288		1,981		-
Other expenditures		5,077		1,610		2,026
Total	$	15,201	$	19,037	$	9,674

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the Company’s sales by major geographic region in which the Company has operations for the years ended December 31:

		2015		2014		2013
United States	$	522,404	$	498,025	$	495,710
Canada		40,545		39,375		37,290
United Kingdom		26,817		22,625		16,548
Other		34,757		47,167		48,415
	$	624,523	$	607,192	$	597,963

The following table summarizes the Company’s long-lived assets by geographic region at December 31:

		2015		2014		2013
United States	$	118,053	$	66,905	$	40,717
Canada		6,186		7,440		8,833
Other		2,506		457		559
	$	126,745	$	74,802	$	50,109

Schedule of Revenues by Major Product Line [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the Company’s sales by major product line:

		2015		2014		2013
Rail distribution products	$	126,277	$	139,529	$	144,911
Rail Technologies products		98,237		109,053		88,670
Piling products		94,853		111,182		140,302
Concrete products		52,044		36,396		32,969
Test and inspection services		35,906		-		-
CXT concrete tie products		35,740		52,562		44,108
Allegheny Rail Products		35,155		45,008		36,666
Other products		146,311		113,462		110,337
	$	624,523	$	607,192	$	597,963