Description of the Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 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 Castaños, Mexico. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries are wholly owned. 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, Coahuila, Mexico (“Castaños”), 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. Starting in March 2021, the Company moved all of its production to the Castaños facility. See Note 21 – Acquisition. The Company ceased operations at the Roanoke Facility and vacated the facility as of March 31, 2020. On September 10, 2020, the Company announced its plan to permanently close the Shoals Facility in light of the ongoing cyclical industry downturn, which has been magnified by the global pandemic. The closure will reduce costs and align the Company’s manufacturing capacity with the current rail car market. The Company ceased production at the Shoals Facility in February 2021. See Note 16–Restructuring and Impairment Charges.

Description of the Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 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 Castaños, Mexico.

As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries are wholly owned. 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, Coahuila, Mexico (“Castaños”), 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. Starting in March 2021, the Company moved all of its production to the Castaños facility. See Note 21 – Acquisition.

The Company ceased operations at the Roanoke Facility and vacated the facility as of March 31, 2020. On September 10, 2020, the Company announced its plan to permanently close the Shoals Facility in light of the ongoing cyclical industry downturn, which has been magnified by the global pandemic. The closure will reduce costs and align the Company’s manufacturing capacity with the current rail car market. The Company ceased production at the Shoals Facility in February 2021. See Note 16–Restructuring and Impairment Charges.