Amsted Rail Co. sues Siemens over transformer

A Granite City rail company filed suit against the corporation that it claims failed to provide it with a transformer that could adequately meet its needs.

Amsted Rail Company claims it has experienced numerous problems with the 7.5 MVA Outdoors Transformer since Siemens installed it in August 2008.

Before Amsted purchased the transformer from defendant Siemens, it asked for a machine that could withstand the industrial duty cycles and fault currents that occur at the Granite City rail facility, according to the complaint filed July 9 in Madison County Circuit Court. However, by September of 2011, the transformer installed by Siemens had already failed, the suit states.

The failure occurred outside the contract’s express warranty period, but well within the transformer’s expected life, the complaint says. In January 2012, Siemens repaired the Pacific Crest transformer at Amsted’s expense, the company claims.

In May 2012, the transformer was re-commissioned, but Amsted found additional problems with the transformer when it discovered the phase rotation was installed backward, according to the complaint. Siemens again fixed the transformer, but the transformer failed on June 29, 2012, the suit states.

Frustrated with the frequent repairs required of the transformer, Amsted filed its complaint, saying it relied upon Siemens to select and provide a suitable transformer designed to withstand the industrial duty cycles it encounters.

Because of the frequent failures of the transformer, Amsted has incurred repair costs and suffered from inconvenience, aggravation and loss of use, according to the complaint. It also will incur replacement costs, the suit states.

In its complaint, Amsted is seeking a judgment of more than $375,000, plus interest and costs.

Anne B. Schmidt and Audra L. Zobrist of Edwardsville will be representing it.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-1140.