EMD Design and Production Facilities

[KSmitty]

All current EMD products are made in London Ontario (is this the former GMD location?) What happened to the locomotive plant in La Grange? Is EMD still headquartered in La Grange? Where are EMD products designed?

Was the move to London for all production a decision made before or after NAFTA? as that act would have allowed canadian built emd products to enter the US with little trouble.

[Allen Hazen]

Top of my head answers, but if I'm wrong it will probably provoke some knowledgable person into correcting me!

The current London facility is at least partly the same site as the former GMD factory: over the years a number of GM divisions worked there (in particular, one that made military equipment), and I don't know whether EMD now has the whole site or only part of it.

Plant at LaGrange has been downsized, some buildings demolished, but I think EMD still makes some components there. Don't know where the headquarters or design offices are.

Elimination of locomotive production at La Grange was roughly contemporaneous with NAFTA: I think a bit later, but I'm not sure. Note that in the early 1990s GE did some locomotive building at the former MLW plant in Montreal, but shut it down at (I think) the end of 1993. In both cases I am sure (*) that the elimination or reduction of tarifs betw. the U.S. and Canada under NAFTA was relevant to the corporate decision not to continue locomotive building in both countries.

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(*) "I am sure" means: "I have no documentation or other specific evidence, but it seems like common sense to suppose." People who say "I am sure" are in general LESS sure than people who make simple statements!

[KSmitty]

Thanks Allen. I figured that the consolidation of production was a money saving thing done in the wake of NAFTA. I think the design facilities are in La Grange, but I'm not sure. I seem to remember an article from about 2004-2005 about EMD being sold. It said something about the design facilities in La Grange, but I cannot remember exactly. And as for an HQ i don't really know either. Before they were sold the HQ would have been GM's???

[RickRackstop]

EMD headquarters, sales and engineering are in LaGrange (actually McCook) Illinois. All the engines are built there as is the control cabinets. London had a capability to do traction motors at least. Back in the '80s a consultant recommend getting rid of excess capacity and since the London plant was "rightsize" they closed the locomotive assembly plant in Illinois and the was one in Pullman too that manufactured carbody components and maybe fuel tanks. At that time Pete Hoagland was the division manger and his brother became the first division manger of Saturn but except for top financial people there was virtually no interchange of personnel with other divisions including Detroit Diesel the other 2 stroke diesel builder. Every year when the GM annual report came out EMD would check to see if there was any mention of EMD in it. Most GM management probably had no idea that GM built such a thing as locomotives but by 1990 they knew enough to start to find a buyer which didn't happen for another 15 years. The problem with most non auto divisions was that they produced capital goods instead of consumer goods and you can be sure all top railroad officials knew the EMD managers home phone number.

[KSmitty]

Thanks for the info.

Interesting that they closed plant to reduce "extra" capacity, seems that now EMD has quite a backlog on the books. Last time I checked the wait list on a locomotive was close to a year. And EMD has recently contracted out to smaller builders when there shops get way overloaded.

[Super Seis]

Weren't hoods, cabs and fuel tanks supplied by Super Steel ? Is all of the remaining manufacturing is centered in the 'FAB' building ?

The recent demise of the parent company indicates that GM should have paid more attention to EMD. A now-deceased former GM CEO spent 85 BILLION on re-tooling the automotive line, which resulted in ever decreasing market share-from which the company never recovered.

SS

[NV290]

Weren't hoods, cabs and fuel tanks supplied by Super Steel ? Is all of the remaining manufacturing is centered in the 'FAB' building ?

The recent demise of the parent company indicates that GM should have paid more attention to EMD. A now-deceased former GM CEO spent 85 BILLION on re-tooling the automotive line, which resulted in ever decreasing market share-from which the company never recovered.

SS

Super Steel did a good deal of final assembly for a time. But Super Steel Schenectady closed it's doors for good this year. They have also outsourced assembly to Mexico at times too.

Most notably, The Long Island Railroad 30AC's (both versions) were built at SSS.

As has already been mentioned, LaGrange/McCook still is the headquarters, engineering and engine plant. And alot of the electrical work is done there. Because for those who don't know, EMD is a major diesel engine builder for power generation and marine applications. They are not just for locomotives.

[Super Seis]

The main plant of Super Steel is located in MIlwaukee. That is where the hoods and cabs were built before EMD was sold. As of today-?

SS

[EMD Engineer]

I keep hearing the name supersteel when others are on the phone here, so my guess is they are still in business.

[NV290]

I keep hearing the name supersteel when others are on the phone here, so my guess is they are still in business.

They are. But they have closed some of their facilities.