Consolidated Statements Of Income (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012		May 31, 2012		Feb. 29, 2012		Nov. 30, 2011		Aug. 31, 2011		May 31, 2011		Feb. 28, 2011		Nov. 30, 2010		Aug. 31, 2012		Aug. 31, 2011		Aug. 31, 2010
Revenue
Manufacturing	$ 306,172		$ 364,930		$ 320,206		$ 262,656		$ 305,554		$ 173,487		$ 156,621		$ 85,440		$ 1,253,964		$ 721,102		$ 295,566
Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts	119,077		125,145		119,894		117,749		119,265		126,317		112,015		95,268		481,865		452,865		388,434
Leasing & Services	18,285		17,722		18,086		17,794		17,917		17,476		15,704		18,226		71,887		69,323		72,280
Revenue	443,534		507,797		458,186		398,199		442,736		317,280		284,340		198,934		1,807,716	[1]	1,243,290	[1]	756,280	[1]
Cost of revenue
Manufacturing	269,921		325,424		290,851		236,188		275,154		158,674		147,552		79,747		1,122,384		661,127		268,395
Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts	109,486		111,610		106,554		105,891		106,423		111,202		101,413		86,411		433,541		405,449		344,522
Leasing & Services	9,588		8,825		9,295		9,663		10,084		9,254		8,725		9,120		37,371		37,183		41,365
Cost of revenue	388,995		445,859		406,700		351,742		391,661		279,130		257,690		175,278		1,593,296		1,103,759		654,282
Margin	54,539		61,938		51,486		46,457		51,075		38,150		26,650		23,656		214,420		139,531		101,998
Selling and administrative	27,598		28,784		24,979		23,235		22,115		22,580		17,693		17,938		104,596		80,326		69,931
Gain on disposition of equipment	(67)		(2,585)		(2,654)		(3,658)		(2,220)		(1,678)		(1,961)		(2,510)		(8,964)		(8,369)		(8,170)
Special items																					(11,870)
Earnings from operations	27,008		35,739		29,161		26,880		31,180		17,248		10,918		8,228		118,788		67,574		52,107
Other costs
Interest and foreign exchange	6,236		6,560		6,630		5,383		6,345		9,807		10,536		10,304		24,809		36,992		45,204
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt									5,650		10,007								15,657		(2,070)
Earnings before income tax and loss from unconsolidated affiliates	20,772		29,179		22,531		21,497		19,185		(2,566)		382		(2,076)		93,979		14,925		8,973
Income tax benefit (expense)	(10,593)		(8,655)		(5,348)		(7,797)		(4,376)		301		(100)		611		(32,393)		(3,564)		959
Earnings before loss from unconsolidated affiliates																	61,586		11,361		9,932
Loss from unconsolidated affiliates	(317)		201		72		(372)		(1,273)		(539)		(575)		(587)		(416)		(2,974)		(1,601)
Net earnings	9,862		20,725		17,255		13,328		13,536		(2,804)		(293)		(2,052)		61,170		8,387		8,331
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,458)		(1,608)		415		1,189		(902)		(510)		(257)		(252)		(2,462)		(1,921)		(4,054)
Net earnings attributable to Greenbrier	$ 7,404		$ 19,117		$ 17,670		$ 14,517		$ 12,634		$ (3,314)		$ (550)		$ (2,304)		$ 58,708		$ 6,466		$ 4,277
Basic earnings per common share:	$ 0.27	[2]	$ 0.71	[2]	$ 0.66	[2]	$ 0.57	[2]	$ 0.50	[3]	$ (0.14)	[3]	$ (0.02)	[3]	$ (0.11)	[3]	$ 2.21	[2]	$ 0.27	[3]	$ 0.23
Diluted earnings per common share:	$ 0.26	[4]	$ 0.61	[4]	$ 0.57	[4]	$ 0.48	[4]	$ 0.42	[5]	$ (0.14)	[5]	$ (0.02)	[5]	$ (0.11)	[5]	$ 1.91	[4],[6]	$ 0.24	[5]	$ 0.21
Weighted average common shares:
Basic																	26,572	[7]	24,100	[7]	18,585	[7]
Diluted																	33,718		26,501		20,213

[1] Revenue is presented on the basis of geographic location of customers.

[2] Quarterly amounts do not total to the year to date amount as each period is calculated discretely.

[3] Quarterly amounts do not total to the year to date amount as each period is calculated discretely. Unvested restricted stock awards are excluded from the per share calculation for the first, second and third quarters due to a net loss in each of those periods.

[4] Quarterly amounts do not total to the year to date amount as each period is calculated discretely. Dilutive earnings per common share includes the outstanding warrants using the treasury stock method and the dilutive effect of shares underlying the 2018 Convertible Notes using the "if converted" method in which debt issuance and interest costs, net of tax, were added back to net earnings.

[5] Quarterly amounts do not total to the year to date amount as each period is calculated discretely. The dilutive effect of warrants is excluded from per share calculations for the first, second and third quarters due to net loss for those periods. The fourth quarter dilutive earnings per common share includes the outstanding warrants using the treasury stock method, which equates to 2.3 million shares, and the dilutive effect of 6.0 million shares underlying the 2018 Convertible Notes using the "if converted" method under which $1.4 million of debt issuance and interest costs, net of tax, were added back to net earnings.

[6] Diluted earnings per share was calculated as follows: Earnings before interest and debt issuance costs on convertible notes Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding

[7] Restricted stock grants are treated as outstanding when issued and are included in weighted average basic common shares outstanding when the Company is in a net earnings position.