Rail supplier news from Dewberry, Peaker Services, RSI and NRC (April 3)

Former New Jersey Transit Executive Director Steven Santoro has joined Dewberry as director of rail and transit. In the new role, he'll help grow Dewberry's practice by mentoring employees, expanding relationships with rail and transit agencies on costs and assisting with project delivery. Santoro had worked at NJ Transit for 18 years. The agency him in 2000 to manage the Hudson-Bergen light-rail project. He became executive director in fall 2016.

Peaker Services Inc. has acquired Energy Conversions Inc. (ECI), a firm that develops natural gas conversion kits for high horsepower diesel engine applications. Those applications include using multipoint direct gas injection and custom engine modifications in dual-fuel natural gas EMD locomotives. ECI will continue to operate out of its plant in Tacoma, Washington, as Engenious Engineering LLC, Peaker Services officials said in a press release. PSI was founded in 1971 to repair and maintain EMD diesel generators. The company grew and diversified into complete locomotive remanufacturing, marine propulsion service and other industrial EMD applications. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) has named Maureen Markey director of membership and communications. She'll oversee member retention, recruitment and relations, and lead overall communications for the association, RSI officials said in a press release. Markey previously served as a consultant to several Washington, D.C.-based health care and technology associations, including the National Industries for the Blind and the Association for Information Science and Technology.

The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) on April 26 will hold its 15th annual rail construction and maintenance equipment auction. The event will be held at Blackmon Auctions in Lonoke, Arkansas. The initial list of items for purchase includes TKO tie inserters/removers, Kershaw tie cranes, Mark II tampers and Gradall earth movers. Contractors, suppliers and railroads are invited to sell or donate their equipment for the auction. For equipment consigned to sell, a percentage of the sale goes to the NRC Safety, Training and Education Program; the seller keeps the rest. For donated equipment, all the proceeds go toward NRC's safety program.