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In the first quarter, rail-car orders nearly doubled first-quarter 2012's total, reaching 23,901 units versus 12,473 units in the year-ago period, according to to the Railway Supply Institute Inc.'s American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI).

Orders previously totaled 11,066 units in fourth-quarter 2012, 15,151 units in third-quarter 2012 and 16,434 units in second-quarter 2012.

Car deliveries in the first quarter (11,952 units) were flat versus the fourth quarter (11,815 units) and down versus first-quarter 2012 (16,816 units), ARCI stats show. Deliveries had totaled 12,346 units in third-quarter 2012 and 17,927 units in second-quarter 2012.

The car backlog as of April 1 stood at 71,704 units compared with 60,244 units on Dec. 31, 2012, 61,400 units on Oct. 1, 2012, and 58,674 units on July 1, 2012.