How the WVCO Railroad Solutions Are Revolutionizing the Rail Supply Industry

Division Spotlight: WVCO Railroad Division
Did you know that the rail industry’s roots go all the way back to 1st millennia BC when the Ancient Greeks used a prepared earth road that forced land cars to follow a predetermined path? European countries began to use railroads back in the 1600s to help transport coal and eventually other materials. 

By the early 1800s, it began transporting passengers and for the last 2 centuries, railroads have been the backbone of the U.S. economy and have evolved to provide efficient and advanced transportation solutions to American businesses and consumers. 

Maintaining our modern rail system is no small feat and the rail supply industry has also seen advancements in repair products and methods through the years. Before 1999, the only spike-hole plugging products on the market for wood-tie remediation were wooden plugs and rigid foam products.

While these products were effective, they presented numerous challenges to railroad maintenance crews. They needed spike-hole plugging products that could last longer and perform well in extreme weather conditions, including heavy rain, freezing temperatures and high humidity. WVCO’s Railroad Solutions responded to this challenge and developed and engineered a new solution, SpikeFast®, a dual-component, non-foam polyurethane product that is currently regarded as the industry’s most reliable product for plugging spike holes. 

Today the railway supply industry plays an essential role in the U.S. economy in terms of jobs, tax revenue, and gross domestic product (GDP) on both the state and national level and we are proud to be a part of it. The importance of this industry and it’s many challenges is what drives us to provide some of the most innovative maintenance solutions on the market for modern railroads including wood and concrete tie repair materials, dispensing systems and FastPatch® and POLYQuik® products to improve the durability of structural applications. 

We have partnered with leading organizations like Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) and American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) to better serve our customers by having access to the latest technologies, methodologies, and resources. 

Visit wvcorailroad.com/products to learn more about WVCO’s Railroad Solutions.