When Giulio Brandimarte emigrated from Italy in 1903 to Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, he hoped to find himself in the company of a new country and a promising future.

The railroad industry seemed to be heading for its heyday and with an inexhaustible work ethic Giulio found work learning the tracks of the trade, swiftly elevating in rank from trackman to general track foreman, where he would be responsible for an important 38-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Under Giulio's keen and watchful eye were the famous Horseshoe Curve and twenty-three other curves along the 930 feet incline, which encompassed his span of the track. The territory under Giulio's supervision had the steepest slopes on the railroad's main line coupled with the highest points and most hairpin turns, and it was the vital link between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, two booming economic centers.

By the end of his 46-year career Giulio had logged – on foot – over 30,000 miles of inspected track, inspecting the railway for worn ties, spreading rails, sprung spikes, and cracked tieplates while keeping the main line open for business.

Upon his 1954 retirement Giulio was dubbed the ″Caretaker of Horseshoe Curve″ by the Pennsylvania Railroad System who honored his namesake on a curve adjoining Horseshoe Curve titling it ″Brandimarte Curve.″ These honorary titles were voices in a chorus of people who would say Giulio Brandimarte spent his distinguished career as the best track foreman the railroad would know.

His son Benjamin Brandimarte inherited his father's dedicated work ethic and his passion for the railroad by following in his footsteps, which meant starting from the ground up. Benny entered the industry when it was a way of life for generations of men. Sons followed fathers into the railroad industry that had followed their fathers.

So Benny began learning the business as soon as he could, laboring as a 20 year-old on the tracks, soaking up every bit of railroad knowledge he could. He was en route to start a Pennsylvania Railroad Machine Shop apprenticeship when he was drafted for World War II; the apprenticeship would have to wait. The U.S. Army needed men like Benny Brandimarte and he responded as a Tech Sergeant in charge of steam engine maintenance.

After the war, Benny picked up his on-hold apprenticeship and shortly thereafter became Gang Foreman for the Pennsy Machine Shop in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. His skill and commitment to doing dedicated, earnest work earned him the General Foreman position of the newly built Samuel Rea Shop in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania in 1964 – one of the world's largest and most modern railroad shops at the time.

Benny began to see the potential the industry had to offer and began to revolutionize the production of wheels, axles, and bearings, establishing new standards of craftsmanship for the PRR, the Penn Central and the Conrail wheel shops.

He designed and created tools to improve quality, reliability, safety, and efficiency as he quadrupled Conrail's shop production capacity.

His achievements, paired with his dedication to quality, efficiency, and attention to detail, helped him become General Superintendent of Wheels, Trucks, and Air Brakes for Conrail in 1977 and pulled up a seat for him on the AAR Wheel, Axle, Bearing and Lubrication Committee.

In 1980 Benny retired from the industry after personally supervising the production of over one million wheel assemblies of all types and was recognized nationally for his commitment and contributions to the railroad industry.

That was only the beginning, Benjamin Brandimarte hoped. Benny wanted to capitalize on his vast experience of nearly 50 years of wheel and axle experience and to pass the railway genes further down in the family. But he would have to wait.

Glenn was in college working on a degree in economics at Princeton University. He took some time off school and they worked a few jobs overhauling bearing housings at a rented garage in Pinecroft, Pennsylvania. But, this initial venture fizzled and Glenn went back to Princeton and finished his degree.

After graduating he headed to California to work on a different kind of track – as a race car mechanic.

The multi-decade streak of the Brandimarte brand of excellence on the railways would have been in dire straits if not for a phone call from Benny informing his son that he had purchased a wheel lathe and needed help getting things rolling.

So Benny and Glenn opened ORX's wheel shop for business. They were dedicated to serving the needs of every client, no matter how big or small, with the same reverent attention to detail. The company's name was Olympic Railway Service and Machine Corporation initially, receiving approval and the shop code letters ORX from the Association of American Railroads in 1979. In 1988 the company name was changed to ORX.

ORX built an all-star team of world-class machinists and managers who had the skill, dedication, and work ethic needed to meet the company's goal of providing total customer satisfaction. Their combined efforts lead the industry in producing the highest quality products – created by the highest quality people. And they know the track is always evolving, so they continuously innovate and adapt their methods of production to best prepare for what's around the next bend.

With the principles and dedication from a century of experience, ORX looks to give the same promising future held by Giulio Brandimarte in 1903 to the railroad industry in the 21st century.