Railcar Leasing and Financing

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Throughout North America, Wells Fargo Rail delivers locomotives that are managed by our in-house staff and available under leasing structures that are customized with your business goals in mind. Whatever you need, we’ve got you covered as one of the largest rail equipment operating lessors in North America, with more than 135,000 railcars and 850 locomotives.

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Railcar Equipment

Our bilevel autoracks are used for transportation of SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans, while trilevels are used for transportation of passenger automobiles. In addition to the standard bilevel and trilevel racks affixed to 89-foot flatcars, our fleet includes 89-foot aluminum bilevels, two-unit articulated bilevels, and two-unit articulated trilevels that are each a unitized railcar design.

Commodities

  • Motor vehicles

Equipment

  • Bilevel rack
  • Trilevel rack

Our box car fleet includes cars in lengths between 50 and 60 feet; 70-ton, 100-ton, or 110-ton weight limits; cushion or noncushion; plug or sliding doors; plate sizes C through G; and various height and length combinations.

Commodities

  • Pulp and paper
  • Lumber and wood
  • Stone, clay, and glass
  • Primary metals
  • Motor vehicle parts
  • Waste and scrap

Equipment

  • Plain: 50' to 60' sliding or plug door
  • Equipped: 50' to 60' sliding or plug door

Gondolas

Our gondolas are available in gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds. These gondolas are built with either aluminum or steel, have rotary discharge, and 3,800 to 7,000 cubic feet capacity.

Commodities

  • Coal
  • Coke
  • Scrap metals: Iron and steel scrap
  • Lumber and wood products: Pulpwood and woodchips
  • Nonmetallic minerals: Rock, clay, or sand

Equipment

  • Flat depressed bottom: 3,800 – 7,000 cubic feet

Coil Gondolas

Our coil steel cars are equipped with cradles and covers. Gondolas are available in gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds and can transport 70 to 109 tons of product.

Commodities

  • Primary metals
  • Coiled steel

Equipment

  • Coil gondola: 48 feet

Mill Gondolas

Our mill gondolas have various cubic capacity and lengths. They are available in gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds and can transport 70 to 109 tons of product.

Commodities

  • Primary metals: Iron, steel
  • Scrap metal
  • Nonmetallic minerals: Broken or crushed stone, riprap

Equipment

  • Plain: 52 – 61 feet, greater than 61 feet
  • Equipped: 52 – 61 feet, greater than 61 feet

Our tank car fleet includes cars with capacities from 10,300 to 314,800 gallons, as well as configurations including coiled, insulated, thermally protected, and lined.

Commodities

  • Ethanol, alcohols, and biodiesel
  • Liquid petroleum commodities
  • Corn syrup and food grade commodities
  • Liquid fertilizers
  • Chemicals

Equipment

  • General purpose tank cars: 10,300 – 31,800 gal.

Large cube

Our large cube covered hopper fleet consists of cars with loading capacities from 4,500 to 6,600 cubic feet and in gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds. Cars can be lined or unlined depending on specific commodities.

Commodities

  • Farm products: Grain
  • Food products: Cereal, DDG, flour, sugar
  • Chemicals: Fertilizer
  • Nonmetallic ores
  • Stone, clay, and glass
  • Wood pellets

Equipment

  • Gravity unloading: 4,000 – 5,000 cubic feet, greater than 5,000 cubic feet
  • Gravity pneumatic: 4,000 – 5,000 cubic feet, greater than 5,000 cubic feet

Medium cube

Our medium cube covered hopper fleet consists of cars with loading capacities from 4,000 to 4,700 cubic feet and in gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds. Cars can be lined or unlined depending on specific commodities.

Commodities

  • Chemicals
  • Fertilizers
  • Minerals

Equipment

  • Gravity unloading: 4,000 to 4,700 cubic feet

Small cube

Our small cube covered hopper consists of cars with loading capacities less than 3,500 cubic feet and gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds.

Commodities

  • Cement
  • Nonmetallic ores: Industrial sand, rock salt
  • Chemicals

Equipment

  • Gravity unloading: Less than 3,000 cubic feet, 3,000 – 4,000 cubic feet

Plastic pellets

Our plastic pellet fleet consists of cars with loading capacities from 5,200 to 6,400 cubic feet and gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds. Cars can be lined or unlined depending on specific commodities.

Commodities

  • Polyethylene
  • Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
  • Polypropylene
  • Polystyrene
  • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
  • Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)

Pressure differential

Our pressure differential fleet consists of cars with loading capacities from 2,700 to 5,850 cubic feet and gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds. Cars are pressurized from 5 psi to 15 psi for product unloading and can be lined or unlined depending on specific commodities.

Commodities

  • Cement
  • Food products: Wheat flour, corn starch
  • Aggregates
  • Nonmetallic minerals, Ashes, barite, crude
  • Chemicals

Equipment

  • Pressurized unloading: Less than 3,000 cubic feet, 3,000 – 4,000 cubic feet, 5,000 – 5,200 cubic feet, 5,200 – 5,700 cubic feet, 5,700 – 5,850 cubic feet

Aggregate

Our aggregate fleet consists of cars with loading capacities between 1,700 and 2,500 cubic feet and gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds, with various unloading configurations.

Commodities

  • Ballast

Equipment

  • Side dump: 1,700 – 2,500 cubic feet
  • Bottom dump: 1,700 – 2,300 cubic feet

Coal hoppers

Our coal hopper fleet consists of cars with loading capacities of 3,800 to 4,500 cubic feet, steel or aluminum bodies, various unloading configurations including rapid discharge and rotary and nonrotary, and gross rail loads of 286,000 pounds.

Commodities

  • Coal
  • Nonmetallic minerals: Broken or crushed stone, riprap, sand, gravel
  • Metallic ores
  • Coke

Equipment

  • Unequipped hoppers: 3,800 – 4,550 cubic feet
  • Equipped hoppers: 3,800 – 4,550 cubic feet

Flat cars

Our flat cars are available in a variety of lengths, configurations, and capacities, including heavy-duty and dimensional flat cars for highly specialized and oversized shipments.

Commodities

  • Lumber and wood
  • Packaged forest products
  • Primary metals: Steel plate and slab, pipe, rail products
  • Heavy-duty vehicles
  • Autoracks
  • Intermodal Equipment: Containers, trailers, chassis

Equipment

  • General service: 56 – 89 feet
  • Bulkhead: 56 – 62 feet
  • Log: 60 – 65 feet

Centerbeam

Our centerbeam cars are built with bulkhead ends and a center partition that extends the length of the car. They are available in a variety of lengths between 60 and 73 feet. Centerbeams can have gross rail loads of 263,000 to 286,000 pounds and are available with or without risers.

Commodities

  • Lumber and wood
  • Wallboard
  • Wood laminates

Equipment

  • Centerbeam: 60 – 73 feet

Intermodal equipment consists of flat cars, containers, trailers, and chassis. Intermodal flats are available in lightweight, single- or double-stack, and well configurations. Equipment is available in various lengths and sizes.

Commodities

  • Empty containers and trailers

Equipment

  • Intermodal flat: Single-unit, 3-unit, 5-unit

Wells Fargo Rail is a one-stop shop for all your locomotive and railcar needs. We provide customized leasing structures for high-quality locomotives. Our fleet consists of both 4- and 6-axle locomotives and is managed in-house by our experienced mechanical staff and engineers.

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Rail financing solutions

Equipment leasing

Operating leases are typically shorter-term arrangements (generally under seven years), covering both new and existing, owned, and managed rail equipment. These agreements are typically structured as a fixed-rate rental obligation or a car hire arrangement.

Net lease: The lessee is responsible for maintenance, insurance, and taxes.
Full-service lease: The lessor is responsible for normal wear and tear maintenance.
Car hire arrangement: Railcars generate hourly and mileage earnings while on railroads.

Structured financing

Wells Fargo Rail provides debt financing to railroads, shippers, equipment lessors, and maintenance of way providers to support the acquisition of railcars, locomotives, and ancillary rail equipment. Flexible terms and payment options are available.

Single-investor leases
Single investor leases are long-term arrangements (seven years and longer) for new or used equipment. These are typically structured as a net lease with the lessee responsible for maintenance, insurance, and taxes. Usually, the lessee has the opportunity to purchase the equipment at lease end.

Portfolio acquisitions
Wells Fargo Rail purchases existing rail equipment from financial institutions, builders, equipment lessors, railroads, and shippers.

Sales and leaseback
In this transaction, used rail equipment is purchased from a company (lessee) by Wells Fargo Rail. The title passes from the user to Wells Fargo Rail, and the equipment is then leased back to the company. This type of transaction often encompasses a modification, upgrade, or rebuild of the equipment prior to being leased back to the lessee.

The information contained herein is general in nature and not intended to provide you with specific advice or recommendations. Contact your attorney, accountant, tax, or other professional advisor with regard to your individual situation.

All transactions are subject to credit approval. Some restrictions may apply.

RO-4427618

LRC-0525