What other war products were built in Locomotive Factories?

While reading this topic:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=

I was reminded that EMD had a section of building that was referred to as the "Navy Building". Plant folk lore had EMD building Torpedos in this "donated" piece of building on EMD real estate during WW2. Preston may know the answer to this EMD item, but What other war products were built in the Locomotive Factories of the US, other than what is identified in the thread link above?

[The Moderator agrees that this topic should stay here ]

Virtually anything and everything from vehicles (cars, truck, tanks) to guns, refrigerators, stoves, ammunition, furniture, whatever was needed and whatever the shop thought it could do.

Alco built tanks and other armour. Baldwin built artillery pieces (not sure if this is WW I or II). There was one at the USMC museum in Quantico that I photographed a few years ago. I went in for a closer look and it had a Baldwin circle builder's plate on it.

henry6 wrote:Virtually anything and everything from vehicles (cars, truck, tanks) to guns, refrigerators, stoves, ammunition, furniture, whatever was needed and whatever the shop thought it could do.

Please be specific, what item was built in what plant...

It is difficult for me to say as I was born in 1943 and not cognizant of much then. I only know that I keep finding little references here and there in articles about specific railroads' and others' shops; as far as I know there is no real and official reference list. But I keep getting surprised.

I think since everyone had to chip in, there would be a little of everything everywhere.

There is/was a great thread here that was talking about a plant in Rochester that built certain things for World War II, and even now, no one is exactly sure. I could be wrong, since there could be a book or something out there that details all of this, but I have a distinct feeling that we will never entirely know who did what and where. Perhaps that secrecy was part of the plan, and it allowed inefficiencies and chaos (not to mention bad accounting) to thrive as a side effect.

This could be a great thread. Anyone know more, even if it's just one place, at one time?

Dave Becker

During WWII, Brooks (ALCO) Locomotive Works in Dunkirk, NY produced large artillery pieces, including two different models of the "Long Tom" cannon. See:

http://www.wnyrails.org/cities/dunkirk/brooks.htm

The last locomotives were built in Dunkirk in 1928. IIRC, those were the Union Pacific 4-12-2's.

Fairbanks-Morse opposed piston diesels, built in Beloit, Wisconsin, were used in marine applications (including military vessels) long before FM entered the locomotive market. I spent 3 years on a Coast Guard cutter powered by FM diesels.

The Schenectady NY Alco plant made M3,M4 and M36 tanks. M7 tank destroyers. Steam and petrol engines for the Brits. Bomb forgings and turret parts for the US Navy. Over 1 billion dollors in war supplies. And with it's close proximity to the U. S. Army's Watervliet Arsenal, it's possible that several other small and large projects crossed the Alco erecting hall floors.

This is wonderful, the way the info is flowing...

Keep it up !!!

I dug out my copy of The Locomotives That Baldwin Built by Fred Westing to see what Baldwin contributed to the war effort. It appears that Baldwin continued to produce locomotives for both domestic and overseas use. From the book:

Final Years from 1942 to 1954

"With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941, the full resources of The Baldwin Locomotive Works were placed at the Government's disposal. It was recognized that locomotives would be a pressing need particularly, for use overseas. Here operating conditions would vary from ours and motive power would have to be built accordingly.

First of the standard United States Government locomotives built for the War Department, was a 2-8-2 type Mikado. Progress in locomotive design prompted Colonel Howard R. Hill-then a Major, and active participant in the project, to suggest this wheel arrangement. For in some quarters the Consolidation type was favored especially in view of the fine "Pershing" Consolidations of World War I fame. Later a standard US War Department Consolidation was designed and hundreds were built for overseas use.

Important executive changes occurred at Baldwin during the war years. On April 1, 1943, President Charles E. Brinley was elected Chairman of the Board. He was succeeded as Baldwin's president by former Vice-President Ralph Kelly.

It was a proud day for Baldwin on April 16, 1943 when Colonel D. N. Hauseman, District Chief, Philadelphia Ordnance District, United States Army, made the Army-Navy "E" Production Award.

In accepting the award, Charles E. Brimley, Chairman of the Board of Directors, addressed Colonel Hauseman and Captain H. E. Haven of the U.S.N., saying 'I promise you, Sirs, a continuous and sustained effort.' That Baldwin employees and officials lived up to that promise was proved by the flow of locomotives that were outshopped at an ever increasing tempo from the works.

But while foreign orders were being filled in profusion, many railroads in the United States, staggering under the load of unprecedented traffic conditions, were brought to a realization of their own motive power requirements. Reciognizing this situation, the Government in certain cases granted priorities to domestic railroads and Baldwin thereupon built locomotives where the need was pressingly vital.

It was at this time that Baldwin began mass production of the 0-4-4-0 type diesel-electric switchers with electrical equipment supplied by Westinghouse.

With the war's cessation in September 1945, activities at the works somewhat curtailed, but a vast backlog of foreign and domestic orders gave Baldwin plenty to do in the locomotive business for awhile."

ExEMDLOCOTester-A little more information that I've been able to uncover, one on a locomotive builder and a couple of asides I hope you'll find of interest...

Lima Locomotive Works-In addition to producing locomotives, Lima was also involved in the production of M4 Sherman tanks and built 1,655 of them before war's end. See:

http://www.bluffton.edu/courses/TLC/BushP/LLW-0.html

Lionel Toy Company-Geared up for the war effort and by the time Pearl Harbor was bombed (Dec. 7th, 1941) Lionel already had $5.5 million in government contracts. Train production was suspended in June of 1942. Lionel produced Navy compasses and compensating binnacles, torpedo directors, wind velocity and direction measuring instruments and peloruses among other items. The military cancelled all contracts with Lionel the day after the Hiroshima bombing in August of 1945, and the factory retooled for peace time production, with toy trains again being made by October of 1945.

(Incidentally, Lionel also had contracts with the Navy and Signal Corps during WWI, producing compasses, binnacles and signal and navigating equipment.)

The Military Railway Service-Approximately 43,500 experienced American railroaders were organized in the Military Railway Service with the MRS handling rail operations in:

North Africa, 1943-1944
Iran, 1942-1945
India, 1943-1945
The Philippines, New Caledonia, Australia and Japan, 1942-1945
Sicily and France, 1943-1945
Northern and Southern France and Belgium, 1944-1945
Germany, 1944-1946

Additionally, the 714th Railway Operating Battalion of the Army Transportation Corps operated the Alaska Railroad from April, 1943 through May, 1945.

The White Pass and Yukon Railroad was leased to the U.S.Army in Oct. 1942 and was operated by Army personnel (770th Railway Operating Battalion) until war's end. Part of the impetus for this was the construction of the Al-Can Highway and the heavy demands for traffic capacity on what was, in 1942, a practically worn out railroad with less than a dozen operating locomotives at the start of the war. The WP&Y ended up acquiring a roster of veritible museum pieces including locos from the Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina (Tweetsie), Colorado & Southern, Silverton and Northern and the Denver and Rio Grande Western as well as ten meter-gauge 2-8-2's that were originally destinied for Iran but were diverted to the WP&Y and regauged to the WP&Y's 3-foot gauge.

The Berwick, Penna. plant of American Car and Foundry produced a large quantity of "Stuart-class" light tanks during the WW-II years.

Here's a relevant link:

http://aaftankmuseum.com/Archive6M5A1.htm

metman499 wrote:Alco built tanks and other armour. Baldwin built artillery pieces (not sure if this is WW I or II). There was one at the USMC museum in Quantico that I photographed a few years ago. I went in for a closer look and it had a Baldwin circle builder's plate on it.

Auburn, NY's ALCO Plant built Sherman Tanks, LST Landing craft and engions for both LST's and large cargo ships as well as Propellers and and shafts for large ships. It was seaid that the ALCO Built engions were a lot beter built with less problums compared to the auto builders who were makeing the same equipment.

Fairbanks-Morse built Opposed Piston Submarine Engions and later applied these same engions to there Locomotives after WWII ended.

Union Switch and Signal Co. produced side arms, specifically, Colt .45's.
You can sometimes find one at an auction or through a rarities dealer. It will set you back at least $4000,