Our History

1957: Cosmo A. Laurello starts the Railroad Construction Company. The foundation for the company’s beginning is based upon performing track maintenance and repairs, building siding tracks, and new intermediate size track construction jobs located between Northeast Ohio and Northwestern Pennsylvania.

1965: Cosmo L. Laurello (Son of Cosmo A. Laurello), after graduating from Notre Dame College with a degree in structural engineering and working for three years with the Koppers Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joins his father’s business. This partnership added a new dimension and a value added service to the expanding customer base.

1968: The Railroad Construction Company becomes one of the first contractors in the country to purchase a new Automatic Production Tamping machine to surface track.

1970: The Railroad Construction Company was incorporated and Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. (DRCI) was born.

1975: Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. expands and builds a new office and maintenance facility. This expansion is vital as it affords the company much needed room to store and maintain it’s ever growing fleet of Maintenance of Way equipment and track supplies.

1985: Ida L. Laurello is elected President of Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. Delta lands it’s largest contract to date, a 150 mile project for the Hammermill Corporation on the Allegheny and Eastern Railroad.

1986: Third generation family members, Larry, Mickey, and Paul Laurello along with their cousin Rick Ryel, move from field positions to administrative positions within the company.

1993: DRCI becomes the first railroad contractor in the country to purchase a new MKIV Production Tamper from the Fairmont Tamper Company.

1994: C.L. Laurello is inducted into the NRC Hall of Fame (National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Inc.).

1998: Quality Track Equipment (QTE) is established to meet the growing needs for re-manufacturing Maintenance of Way equipment in the railroad industry. Mid year 1998, QTE is awarded a four machine re-manufacturing order from Harsco Track Technologies.

2000: Parent company, DRCI constructs a pre-cast building to enclose a new 18’ x 18’ x 60’ paint booth to improve the quality and efficiency of the machine painting process for the re-manufacturing division Quality Track Equipment.

1998 – 2010: During this thirteen year span QTE successfully re-manufactures over forty five customer machines. The variety of MOW equipment ranges from Chase Tampers and Production Tampers, to Tie Inserter/Removers, Spikers, Spike Pullers, Regulators, and Tie Unloaders. As the business continues to grow it becomes apparent that a facility upgrade is in order.

2011: By the end of January, QTE has secured a full year’s worth of contract work. The search begins for a larger facility. In the beginning of April, a newer 50,000 square foot facility is acquired. The interior re-design begins immediately. While the re-designing and remodeling takes place, the workforce at QTE is focused on completing the task of completing the customer re-manufactures on time. In August, QTE hires a quality manager as the commitment of becoming an ISO certified company is initiated.

2012: First quarter reporting, QTE moves into their new facility. By the end of January, QTE has filled it’s work quota for the year. A 60% increase in re-manufacturing capacity is to be recognized in the first year.

2013 – present: Each year we are increasing our annual units processed and diversification of machines manufactured, re-manufactured, reconditioned, and repaired. In May of 2015 we were awarded our ISO 9001:2008 certification. We are driven to continually improve our processes, our technical support mechanisms, and our customer service levels.