Investment in TRIP Holdings

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Investment in TRIP Holdings [Abstract]

Investment in TRIP Holdings

Note 5. Investment in TRIP Holdings

In 2007, the Company and other third-party equity investors formed TRIP Holdings for the purpose of providing railcar leasing and management services in North America. TRIP Holdings, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, TRIP Rail Leasing LLC (“TRIP Leasing”), purchased railcars from the Company’s Rail and Leasing Groups funded by capital contributions from TRIP Holdings’ equity investors and borrowings under the TRIP Warehouse Loan. As of March 31, 2012, TRIP Holdings’ subsidiaries had purchased $1,325.2 million of railcars from the Company. Railcars purchased from the Company by TRIP Holdings’ subsidiaries were required to be purchased at prices comparable with the prices of all similar, new railcars sold contemporaneously by the Company and at prices based on third-party appraised values for used railcars.

In July 2011, as a result of refinancing TRIP Holdings’ previous credit facility, TRIP Holdings and its newly-formed subsidiary, TRIP Master Funding, issued $1,032.0 million in new debt. The debt was used by TRIP Master Funding to purchase all of the railcar equipment owned by TRIP Leasing which, in turn, repaid all outstanding borrowings under the existing TRIP credit facility and settled all outstanding related interest rate hedges. See Note 9 Debt regarding TRIP Holdings and its related debt. Additionally, Trinity entered into agreements with an equity investor of TRIP Holdings potentially requiring Trinity, under certain limited circumstances, to acquire from the equity investor an additional 16.3% equity ownership in TRIP Holdings if the option is exercised to its fullest extent. Under the agreement, if exercised, Trinity would be required to pay the equity investor an amount equal to 90% of the equity investor’s net investment in TRIP Holdings. Similarly, at its option, Trinity, under certain limited circumstances, may acquire all of the equity investor’s equity ownership in TRIP Holdings at an amount equal to 100% of the equity investor’s net investment in TRIP Holdings. The agreements expire in July 2014. See Note 2 Fair Value Accounting.

At March 31, 2012, the Company owned 57% of TRIP Holdings with the remainder owned by three other third-party equity investors. The Company receives distributions from TRIP Holdings as an equity investor, when allowed, in proportion to its 57% equity interest, and has an interest in the net assets of TRIP Holdings upon a liquidation event in the same proportion. The terms of the Company’s equity investment are identical to the terms of each of the other equity investors. Other than as described above, Trinity had no remaining equity commitment to TRIP Holdings as of March 31, 2012 and had no obligation to guarantee performance under any TRIP-related debt agreements, guarantee any railcar residual values, shield any parties from losses, or guarantee minimum yields.

The Company’s carrying value of its investment in TRIP Holdings is as follows:

	March 31, 2012			December 31, 2011
	(in millions)
Capital contributions	$	47.3		$	47.3
Equity purchased from investors		44.8			44.8
		92.1			92.1
Equity in earnings		11.2			12.0
Equity in unrealized losses on derivative financial instruments		(0.6	)		(1.3	)
Distributions		(7.0	)		(7.0	)
Deferred broker fees		(0.5	)		(0.6	)
	$	95.2		$	95.2

Administrative fees paid to TILC by TRIP Holdings and subsidiaries for the three month periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 were $1.3 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

See Note 6 of the December 31, 2011 Consolidated Financial Statements filed on Form 10-K for additional information.