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Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 agreement | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits | The Company has six retirement plans which cover its hourly and salaried employees in the United States: three defined benefit plans (one active / two frozen) and three defined contribution plans. Employees are eligible to participate in the appropriate plan based on employment classification. The Company's funding to the defined benefit and defined contribution plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), applicable plan policy and investment guidelines. The Company policy is to contribute at least the minimum in accordance with the funding standards of ERISA.The Company's subsidiary, L.B. Foster Rail Technologies (Rail Technologies), maintains two defined contribution plans for its employees in Canada, as well as a post-retirement benefit plan. In the United Kingdom, Rail Technologies maintains both a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit plan. These plans are discussed in further detail below |  |
Number of retirement plans | 6 fstr_NumberOfRetirementPlans |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Number | 3 fstr_DefinedBenefitPlanNumber |  |
Active Defined Benefit Plan Number | 1 fstr_ActiveDefinedBenefitPlanNumber |  |
Inactive Defined Benefit Plan Number | 2 fstr_InactiveDefinedBenefitPlanNumber |  |
Defined Contribution Plan Number | 3 fstr_DefinedContributionPlanNumber |  |
Post-retirement benefit plan number | 1 fstr_PostRetirementBenefitPlanNumber |  |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | $ 2,810 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized | $ 2,553 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized | $ 2,492 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
Salaried Benefit Plan [Member] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Description of Postemployment Benefits | The Company sponsors six defined contribution plans for hourly and salaried employees across our domestic and international facilities. The following table summarizes the expense associated with the contributions made to these plans. |  |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | 2,425 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_SalariedBenefitPlanMember | 2,151 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_SalariedBenefitPlanMember | 2,107 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_SalariedBenefitPlanMember
Canadian Employees [Member] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined Contribution Plan Number | 2 fstr_DefinedContributionPlanNumber / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_CanadianEmployeesMember |  |
United Kingdom Benefit Plans [Member] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits | The Portec Rail Products (UK) Limited Pension Plan covers certain current employees, former employees, and retirees. The plan has been frozen to new entrants since April 1, 1997 and also covers the former employees of a merged plan after January 2002. Benefits under the plan were based on years of service and eligible compensation during defined periods of service. Our funding policy for the plan is to make minimum annual contributions required by applicable regulations |  |
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year | 280 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Number | 1 fstr_DefinedBenefitPlanNumber / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember |  |
Defined Contribution Plan Number | 1 fstr_DefinedContributionPlanNumber / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember |  |
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer | 284 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember | 303 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | 158 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember | 136 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember | 116 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = fstr_UnitedKingdomBenefitPlanMember
United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan, Future Amortization of Gain (Loss) | 278 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember |  |
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer | $ 299 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember | $ 496 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember |

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- Definition Number of active defined benefit plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of defined benefit plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of defined contribution plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of inactive defined benefit plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of retirement plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of post-retirement benefit plans offered by the company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The increase in the fair value of plan assets from contributions made by the employer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b)(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Amount included in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) related to gain (loss) expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost for the fiscal year that follows the most recent annual statement of financial position. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan during the next fiscal year beginning after the date of the latest statement of financial position. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 70 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942 + Details
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- Definition Description of benefits provided to former or inactive employees, their beneficiaries, and covered dependents after employment but before retirement, except for: a) benefits provided through a pension or postretirement benefit plan, b) individual deferred compensation arrangements, c) termination benefits pertaining to exit or disposal activities, and d) stock compensation plans. Benefits may be provided in cash or in kind and may be paid as a result of disability, layoff, death, or other event. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 712 -SubTopic 10 -Section 15 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6410066&loc=d3e79194-111664 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Nonretirement Postemployment Benefits -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6518940 + Details
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