Ames Hydraulics is a Union Pacific repair partner in central Iowa. Union Pacific and its contractors bring hydraulic cylinders, welded structural components, and mobile maintenance equipment to our shop because we have the cylinder capacity, the honing and pressure-test capability, and the certified welding to handle railroad work. If you’re a UP employee, contractor, or vendor looking for a local shop that can turn hydraulic repair fast and weld structural steel to spec, that’s what we do.
Why Union Pacific Uses Us
Rail work is unforgiving on hydraulics. Track maintenance equipment, tie-handlers, rail-loading trailers, and yard cranes cycle continuously under heavy load, in weather, and around track. When something fails, it needs to be back in service fast, and it needs to be repaired to a real standard. Ames Hydraulics does Union Pacific repair and general railroad equipment repair because we’re built for that: in-house cylinder honing, pressure-testing to real working pressure, and structural welding done to code.
What We Repair for the Railroad
- Hydraulic cylinders from track maintenance equipment — honed, resealed, pressure-tested
- Pumps, motors, and control valves on maintenance-of-way equipment
- Cracked frames, mounts, and welded steel on yard and track equipment
- Rail-loading trailers, tie-handlers, and material-handling attachments
- Custom fabrication when a part is obsolete or a repair needs to be engineered
- Machine work — shafts, pins, bushings, and adapters
Fast Turn Matters on Rail Work
Rail equipment down at a wrong moment can delay track work that affects operations far beyond the failed machine. We prioritize UP and contractor jobs, quote same-day, and turn hydraulic and welded repair as fast as anyone in central Iowa. If your Union Pacific repair job has a hard deadline, tell us up front and we’ll build the schedule around it.
Certified Welding and Documented Repair
Railroad structural welds have to pass inspection and be documented. Every welded repair we do gets logged, and we can provide written repair documentation to your maintenance records when the job needs it. If the repair calls for a specific procedure or filler material, we match the spec — not our own preference.
For UP Employees and Contractors
If you’re on the UP side or with a UP contractor and haven’t used our shop before, this is the intro. Bring the equipment or the cylinder to us at 210 Freel Dr in Ames, or text a photo of the failure to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day whether we’re the right shop for the job and roughly what it will cost. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames on anything that fits our trailer.
Beyond Union Pacific
We do the same work for BNSF, Iowa Interstate, short lines, and rail contractors of any size. Structural and hydraulic repair on railroad equipment is a specialty niche and we’re the shop in central Iowa set up to do it. See our railroad equipment repair page for the full service list.
Get It Repaired Right
See our full hydraulic repair, welding & fabrication, and trailer repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring the equipment to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.
Track Maintenance and Right-of-Way Equipment
The equipment we see most from railroad customers is track-maintenance-of-way (MOW): tampers, tie-handlers, ballast regulators, rail loaders, and the trucks and trailers that carry crews and material. All of it uses hydraulics, all of it takes structural loading, and all of it eventually needs Union Pacific repair work of some kind. If you run any of that equipment for UP or a UP contractor, this is the shop.
Signals, Communications, and Yard Support
Beyond MOW, we also see occasional signals-and-communications trucks, yard-support equipment, and mobile shops that need welded structural work, custom brackets, or hydraulic repair. The common thread is that railroad equipment doesn’t fit standard OEM parts channels — parts are often obsolete, dimensions are custom, and repair has to be engineered. A shop that fabricates and machines is a better fit than a parts-swap operation, and that’s the reason UP work comes here.
How We Support Union Pacific and UP Contractors
Union Pacific runs a lot of iron across Iowa — mainline, spurs, yard equipment, and mobile maintenance-of-way units. When any of it needs hydraulic or welded structural repair, we’re the shop UP and its contractors use because we can turn the work fast, weld to spec, and pressure-test cylinders to real working pressure. Our Union Pacific repair customer base includes direct UP crews, MOW contractors, tie-handler operators, and specialty subcontractors moving through central Iowa on scheduled track work.
Typical Union Pacific Repair Jobs We See
- Hydraulic cylinder rebuilds from tie-handlers, rail loaders, tampers, and ballast regulators
- Hydraulic pump and motor rebuilds on MOW equipment
- Welded structural repair on tie-handler grapples, boom arms, and truck-mounted subframes
- Custom fabrication when a part is obsolete or the OEM channel is dry
- Machine work — shafts, pins, bushings, and adapters
- Emergency mobile response when equipment is down at the track site
Rail Work Is Different — Turn Time Matters
When MOW equipment is down, track work stops advancing, and delays cascade through the schedule. A Union Pacific repair job with a hard schedule needs to jump the queue, and we build our workflow to let that happen. Rig equipment brought in in the morning is usually torn down and diagnosed the same day. Cylinder rebuilds — the most common job — typically turn in 2-4 days depending on seal availability. Welded structural repair is usually 1-3 days. Full mobile pickup within 60 miles of Ames.
Welding to Spec, With Documentation
Rail welded structural repair has to meet specific procedures, specific filler materials, and often gets documented for the equipment’s maintenance records. We follow the spec, keep procedure records, and provide written repair documentation with photos before-and-after. If your Union Pacific repair job has a specific inspection or re-certification tied to it, tell us up front and we build the paperwork to match.
Not Just UP — BNSF, Iowa Interstate, and Short Lines
Union Pacific is our biggest rail customer but not the only one. We do the same work for BNSF crews moving through Iowa, Iowa Interstate operations, short-line railroads, and independent rail contractors of every size. See our dedicated railroad equipment repair page for the broader service list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ames Hydraulics an official Union Pacific vendor?
We work with UP and UP contractors on hydraulic cylinder rebuilds, structural welded repair, and machine work. The vendor and PO paperwork is handled through your UP purchasing contact — we service the equipment and provide the documentation the maintenance records need.
What’s your turnaround on a cylinder rebuild for MOW equipment?
Typically 2-4 days once we have the cylinder in the shop, depending on seal-kit availability. We keep common seal sizes on the shelf. If a rebuild has a hard deadline tied to a crew schedule or track window, tell us up front and we build the schedule around it.
Can you make replacement parts for older MOW equipment?
Yes. Our machine shop fabricates replacement shafts, pins, bushings, and welded structural components when OEM parts are obsolete or out of stock. This is one of the specific reasons rail work comes to us rather than a straight parts-swap shop.
Do you come to the track for emergency repairs?
For hydraulic cylinder and small mechanical work we typically pick up the equipment and repair in-shop. For welded structural repair on equipment that can’t easily move, we can bring welding capability to the site — call to discuss the specific situation and travel window.
What paperwork do you provide with a repair?
Written repair documentation, before-and-after photos, welding procedure records where applicable, and pressure-test certification for cylinders. We match whatever standard your maintenance records need.
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Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599