Honoring The Railroad and what it has meant to the USA.

At Short Run Pro we love the USA. We love its past. We love it now and we love its future! Sometimes it is beneficial to remember some of the great accomplishments the people of the United States did to make our country great. In this blog we want to remember the railroad!

Pictured is a steam locomotive from the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company. This particular engine was donated to Charlotte, NC after its permanent retirement in 1959. Locomotives of this type played a critical role in the development of our country and particularly the south and western area of the USA. The service engine pictured was built in 1920. It was retired off of the Gainesville Midland Railroad in Georgia. It was one of the last steam engines in service in the south.

Whether it was the connecting of the Transamerica rail system or the regional duties performed, the railroad has contributed to making our country great. Transportation of equipment and people, moving mountains of building materials, conducting wars, and expanding into new territories has all been part of the railroad’s resume. So we honor the great achievements made by the railroad companies, the workers who ran those companies and the pioneers who laid the tracks that extended this countries opportunities and its people's dreams.

Why Short Run Pro is Thankful for US Steel.

US Steel has been instrumental to the world’s industrial economy since 1850. Before that decade, steel was too expensive to produce and was only used where nothing else would do. It is great for projects that require high strength and durability. It is less expensive than aluminum, titanium and other metals with a high strength to weight ratio. It is great for projects that require high electrical or conductivity or that require high resistance to corrosion.

By 1900’s the U.S. was the largest producer and also the lowest cost producer, output had tripled since 1890 and customers benefited the most. Productivity-enhancing technology encouraged faster and faster rates of investment in new plants. In the United States the central figure was Andrew Carnegie, who made Pittsburgh the center of the industry. He sold his operations to US Steel, Inc. in 1901. That company went on to become the dominant steel corporation for decades to come.

During the 70’ s US Steel could no longer compete with low-wage producers. Imports and mini-mills undercut the industry. After decades of losing out to foreign investments, US Steel, Inc reemerged in 2002 with plants in three American locations, over taking mass producers in Japan, China and India.

As a leader in the increasingly competitive global steel industry, the United States Steel Corporation is dedicated to delivering high-quality products to customers and building value for all of their stakeholders, funding American made steel and American made parts which benefit Americans.

At Federal Brace and Short Run Pro we wanted to take a minute and relive the benefits and history of American made US Steel and the comeback story that is currently ongoing. Steel is the backbone of both companies and this country. You can rest assured that we are using American made US Steel and will continue to make US Steel parts.