Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)				12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2003 Ohio Castings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Axis [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Axis [Member]	Oct. 29, 2010 ARI Headquarters Lease [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 ARI Headquarters Lease [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ARI Headquarters Lease [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ARI Headquarters Lease [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Related Party Parts Facility [Member] facility	Dec. 31, 2012 Related Party Parts Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Related Party Parts Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Term Loan and Credit Agreement [Member] Axis [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan and Credit Agreement [Member] Axis [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 Revised Ohio Castings Agreement [Member] Ohio Castings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 ACF [Member] Manufacturing Services Agreement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ACF [Member] Manufacturing Services Agreement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ACF [Member] Manufacturing Services Agreement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Other Related Party [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Related Party [Member] Revised Ohio Castings Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 M.W. Recycling [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 M.W. Recycling [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 M.W. Recycling [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Insight Portfolio [Member] Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Joint Ventures [Member] Cost of Goods Sold [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Joint Ventures [Member] Cost of Goods Sold [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Joint Ventures [Member] Cost of Goods Sold [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 ARL [Member] Railcar services agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ARL [Member] Railcar services agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ARL [Member] Railcar services agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 ARL [Member] Railcar management agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ARL [Member] Railcar management agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ARL [Member] Railcar management agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 ARL [Member] Railcar Orders [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ARL [Member] Railcar Orders [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ARL [Member] Railcar Orders [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 AEP [Member] Railcar Orders [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 AEP [Member] Railcar Orders [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Purchasing and Engineering Services Agreement [Member] ACF [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Purchase assets from ACF (less than $0.1 million in 2012 and 2011)																$ 300,000	$ 100,000	$ 100,000
Revenue As Percentage of Profit Under Agreement																																									30.00%
Revenue from related parties				300,000																	7,400,000	8,600,000	3,300,000							17,200,000	21,400,000	24,700,000				0	45,100,000	1,200,000	238,200,000	58,500,000	12,300,000
Service agreement period				1 year																										3 years
Service agreement renewal period				1 year																										1 year
Annual director fee																			65,000
Expense with related party/Total fees paid							600,000	600,000	600,000	400,000	400,000	400,000												200,000			89,300,000	83,500,000	24,700,000				2,300,000	1,400,000	100,000
Lease agreement term						11 years
Total sales commission																																	400,000	0	200,000
Amount loaned under promissory note			3,000,000
Note renegotiated principal amount															2,200,000
Interest rate																				4.00%
Company's Interest in credit facility, Ohio Castings					50.00%
Notes receivable													32,900,000	35,700,000
Number of leased parts manufacturing facilities										1
Inventory of railcar components purchased from joint ventures	$ 90,185,000	$ 110,075,000																							$ 6,200,000	$ 3,300,000