Description of the Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Description of the Business [Abstract]
Description of the Business	Note 1 – Description of the Business FreightCar America, Inc. (“FreightCar”) operates primarily in North America through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, FreightCar North America, LLC (f/k/a FCAI Holdings, LLC), (“FreightCar North America”) JAC Operations, Inc., Johnstown America, LLC, Freight Car Services, Inc., JAIX Leasing Company (“JAIX”), FreightCar America Leasing, LLC, FreightCar America Leasing 1, LLC, FreightCar Roanoke, LLC, FreightCar Mauritius Ltd. (“Mauritius”), FreightCar Rail Services, LLC (“FCRS”), FreightCar Short Line, Inc. (“FCSL”), FreightCar Alabama, LLC FreightCar (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd, FCA-FASEMEX, LLC, FCA-FASEMEX, S. de R.L. de C.V. and FCA-FASEMEX Enterprise, S. de R.L. de C.V. (herein collectively referred to as the “Company”), and manufactures a wide range of railroad freight cars, supplies railcar parts and leases freight cars. The Company designs and builds high-quality railcars, including coal cars, bulk commodity cars, covered hopper cars, intermodal and non-intermodal flat cars, mill gondola cars, coil steel cars and boxcars, and also specializes in the conversion of railcars for re-purposed use. The Company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and has facilities in the following locations: Cherokee, Alabama; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, and in Castaños, Mexico. As of September 30, 2020, the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries are wholly owned except for the Fasemex entities related to our Mexico operations. The Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are all Delaware corporations or Delaware limited liability companies except Mauritius, which is incorporated in Mauritius, FreightCar (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., which is organized in the People’s Republic of China, and FCA-FASEMEX, S. de R.L., de C.V. and FCA-FASEMEX Enterprise, S. de R.L. de C.V. which are organized in Mexico. During 2019, the Company entered into a joint venture arrangement with Fabricaciones y Servicios de México, S.A. de C.V. (“Fasemex”), a Mexican company with operations in both Mexico and the United States to manufacture railcars in Castaños, Mexico, in exchange for a 50% interest in the operation. Production of railcars at the facility began during the third quarter of 2020. On October 16, 2020, the Company acquired Fasemex’s 50% ownership in the joint venture. The Company plans to conduct all of its production at the Castaños facility by February 2021. See Note 17 –Subsequent Events. The Company ceased operations at its Roanoke, Virginia manufacturing facility and vacated the facility as of March 31, 2020. On September 10, 2020, the Company announced its plan to permanently close its manufacturing facility in Cherokee, Alabama (the “Shoals Facility”) in light of the ongoing cyclical industry downturn, which has been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure will reduce costs and align the Company’s manufacturing capacity with the current rail car market. The Company intends to cease production at the Shoals facility by the end of 2020 or during the first quarter of 2021, with full closure to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2021. See Note 16–Restructuring and Impairment Charges.

Description of the Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Description of the Business [Abstract]

Note 1 – Description of the Business

FreightCar America, Inc. (“FreightCar”) operates primarily in North America through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, FreightCar North America, LLC (f/k/a FCAI Holdings, LLC), (“FreightCar North America”) JAC Operations, Inc., Johnstown America, LLC, Freight Car Services, Inc., JAIX Leasing Company (“JAIX”), FreightCar America Leasing, LLC, FreightCar America Leasing 1, LLC, FreightCar Roanoke, LLC, FreightCar Mauritius Ltd. (“Mauritius”), FreightCar Rail Services, LLC (“FCRS”), FreightCar Short Line, Inc. (“FCSL”), FreightCar Alabama, LLC FreightCar (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd, FCA-FASEMEX, LLC, FCA-FASEMEX, S. de R.L. de C.V. and FCA-FASEMEX Enterprise, S. de R.L. de C.V. (herein collectively referred to as the “Company”), and manufactures a wide range of railroad freight cars, supplies railcar parts and leases freight cars. The Company designs and builds high-quality railcars, including coal cars, bulk commodity cars, covered hopper cars, intermodal and non-intermodal flat cars, mill gondola cars, coil steel cars and boxcars, and also specializes in the conversion of railcars for re-purposed use. The Company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and has facilities in the following locations: Cherokee, Alabama; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, and in Castaños, Mexico.

As of September 30, 2020, the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries are wholly owned except for the Fasemex entities related to our Mexico operations. The Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are all Delaware corporations or Delaware limited liability companies except Mauritius, which is incorporated in Mauritius, FreightCar (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., which is organized in the People’s Republic of China, and FCA-FASEMEX, S. de R.L., de C.V. and FCA-FASEMEX Enterprise, S. de R.L. de C.V. which are organized in Mexico.

During 2019, the Company entered into a joint venture arrangement with Fabricaciones y Servicios de México, S.A. de C.V. (“Fasemex”), a Mexican company with operations in both Mexico and the United States to manufacture railcars in Castaños, Mexico, in exchange for a 50% interest in the operation. Production of railcars at the facility began during the third quarter of 2020. On October 16, 2020, the Company acquired Fasemex’s 50% ownership in the joint venture. The Company plans to conduct all of its production at the Castaños facility by February 2021. See Note 17 –Subsequent Events.

The Company ceased operations at its Roanoke, Virginia manufacturing facility and vacated the facility as of March 31, 2020.

On September 10, 2020, the Company announced its plan to permanently close its manufacturing facility in Cherokee, Alabama (the “Shoals Facility”) in light of the ongoing cyclical industry downturn, which has been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure will reduce costs and align the Company’s manufacturing capacity with the current rail car market. The Company intends to cease production at the Shoals facility by the end of 2020 or during the first quarter of 2021, with full closure to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2021. See Note 16–Restructuring and Impairment Charges.