As one of the leaders in the wheelset pressing industry, one would think that a wheelset press being sold in the US, is a normal project.
Welcome to MAE-Eitel, a subsidiary of MAE. Group located in Erkrath, Germany. Thousands of miles away, yet that distance doesn’t change the equipment and service that MAE. provides to its customers.Throughout the years, MAE. has provided hundreds of wheelset presses across the globe to varying companies with unique backgrounds. This, however, would be quite the endeavor for MAE-Eitel, located in Orwigsburg, nestled in the heart of the coal region of Pennsylvania.
Receiving news of the order from our new customer, located in Boston, MA, there came a feeling of excitement, yet one of caution. How will this work? You see, MAE-Eitel had not, up to this point, fully commissioned a wheelset press. How does one overcome this challenge? How will the logistics of it all work out?
Fast forward to almost a year later, a fully built wheelset press sits in our shop in Pennsylvania, ready to press on, and off, wheels from MBTA. Before you know it, everything is ready to go, and off on its way to Boston.
Along the way, there were many challenges, which required the team’s full effort and commitment; as many of us know, these often provide us with the best lessons to be learned. Not only was it something new for us, the learning curve on the software of the machine presented itself to be an entirely new challenge. MAE.’s newest iteration of its wheelset pressing software, RACOS X, was being rolled out. New press, new software, what could go wrong, right? You might be surprised; both German colleagues and US alike came together, sometimes literally, to resolve the challenges presented before us.
With this project in our rear-view mirror, a proper reflection is in order. Was it challenging? Of course. Did we learn a lot? Heck yes. Would we do it again? Absolutely! At least 2 more times in 2025 to be exact! We like to take that as a good indicator of what we see in the market right now. Self-sufficiency, companies taking pride in their work, and increased capability for those smaller companies. The rail industry in the US had its boom hundreds of years ago; however, as history dictates, everything is cyclical. The outlook for the rail industry in the US, we believe, is at an upward trend. Think about the impact rail has on commerce, and moving people around? Cities are focusing more on their existing systems, for the first time in many years. We are seeing enquiries for state-of-the-art equipment, to replace the old workhorses which once produced our railcars day in and day out.
With the increased awareness around safety, production rates and of course reducing the bottom line of product, new equipment is becoming a must for the rail-car industry. With MAE. Group at the forefront of this technology, following regional regulations and providing equipment which reduces the need for human interaction, we are excited to support our small maintenance shops who keep those trains in operation, up to those large corporations who produce them right here in the US!
This article first appeared in the Railway-News Magazine Issue 2 2025. Download a PDF version here.
