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MEDIA CONTACT	ED WHALEN
TEL.	(312) 928-0856
FAX	(312) 928-0890
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	June 3, 2003

Johnstown America delivers unique railcars to National Gypsum

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, June 3, 2003 - Johnstown America Corporation today announced the sale of 132 newly-designed automatic discharge hopper cars to National Gypsum (Canada) Ltd., of Nova Scotia, operator of the world's largest open-pit gypsum mine. Johnstown America designed and is building the unique aggregate cars to meet the customer's specific requirements. Delivery will be completed this spring.

National Gypsum (Canada) Ltd. will use the hopper cars to haul gypsum rock from its mine at Milford Station, 32 miles north of Halifax, to the Port of Halifax. There, the rock is unloaded and exported by ship to customers in the United States and Canada.

The all-steel cars' discharge gates incorporate Johnstown America's MegaFlo™ design, that allows better sealing, smoother door operation and faster lading discharge. Johnstown custom-built the cars with the ends close to the couplers, thereby bringing the ends of adjacent cars nearer to each other to work effectively with the National Gypsum loading system.

New discharge system unique to North America

Traditionally National Gypsum (Canada) Ltd. moved the gypsum rock using railway-supplied gondola cars in rotary dump service. The dumper at their Halifax unloading site needed to be replaced. The company decided instead to modify the dump pit for use with rapid discharge cars.

The unloading pit features the second automated unloading system for discharging aggregate materials in North America. The other system, in Texas, also utilizes Johnstown America cars.

For over a century, Johnstown America Corporation has been a leading producer of railcars in North America. It designs and builds aluminum coal cars, flat cars, mill gondola cars, heavy haul intermodal cars, aggregate cars, the new aluminum motor vehicle carrier, the AVC, and the VersaCoil™ steel coil car.

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