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On April 10, ASF-Keystone announced it acquired from Meridian Rail L.L.C. manufacturing rights for the Swing Motion™ rail-car suspension system, and an interest in Chinese joint ventures Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Works and Datong Locomotive Works.


The Zhuzhou foundry in Hunan Province produces side frames and bolsters, including the Swing Motion truck; Datong in Shanxi Province manufactures cast-steel wheels.


Meridian Rail is exiting the rail-products market to concentrate on other rail services, opening the door for ASF-Keystone to "provide the industry with an established domestic source" for Swing Motion trucks, said ASF-Keystone President John Wories in a prepared statement.


A division of Amsted Industries and part of the Amsted Rail Group, ASF-Keystone plans to broaden Swing Motion's automotive and paper-product applications to other industries and car types.


In China, ASF-Keystone expects to provide the Zhuzhou and Datong facilities with Amsted Rail Group's technical support.


In December 2001, Three Cities Research Inc. and Cerberus formed Meridian Rail after acquiring substantially all of ABC-NACO Inc.'s U.S. operating assets, and European and Chinese operations