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All about locomotive rebuilders, small locomotive works, and experimental works

Moderator: Komachi

 #176827  by mxdata
 
Boise has now lasted longer in the diesel locomotive business than some of the builders that warrant their own discussion category on this forum. Over the years they have produced quite a variety of operators manuals, ad proofs, data sheets, sales promotional material, and customer gifts. Lots of fans collect EMD and GE sales promotional items, is anyone interested in, and collecting the commercial items Boise has produced?

 #176849  by Ol' Loco Guy
 
I have the following MK items:

D&H PA-4 spec
a collection of various PA4 shop drawings
ads (from Railway Age) for MK1200G and MK5000
some other MK1200G documentation

and last-but not least:

the MLW-US/MK spec. for upgrading C-628's to ?? (no model number specified). This came from the N&W files-so it appears that MK made a proposal to ugrade N&W C628 fleet.

 #184833  by mxdata
 
Looks like we may be the only ones on the forum interested in these promotional items OLG!

My personal favorite MK/MK Rail item is the classic "We Built Five More Than Ingalls" coffee cup, which has beautiful color artwork renderings of the six MK5000C locomotives, all in the correct paint schemes. It was produced in very small numbers by one of the employees back in the late 1990s.

The Boise operators manuals are also very nice items to collect, they are often a higher quality than either EMD or GE produce nowadays.
 #185052  by Komachi
 
mxdata,

"Looks like we may be the only ones on the forum interested in these promotional items OLG!"

No, you're just the only guys who have them (that I know of). I don't have anything, really. Except a Burlington Northern route map and a necktie (navy with the green BN logo on it) that a friend of mine gave me (who was a BN employee).


"My personal favorite MK/MK Rail item is the classic 'We Built Five More Than Ingalls' coffee cup, ..."

ROFLMAO. Sweet.

 #188452  by mxdata
 
For the benefit of those who might be interested in collecting MK/MK Rail/Motivepower/Wabtec Boise Locomotive promotional items and publications, here are some notes on typical items they have produced over the years:

Howard Fogg Prints (similar in format to ALCO's) of at least four subjects.
Large prints of magazine ads given out to employees and customers.
Many data sheets and Spec handouts on new and rebuilt locomotives.
A variety of brochures, particularly on the MK1200G and MK5000C.
Many operators manuals, a lot of them are nicer than EMD or GE.
Many parts books and service manuals (some have nice cross indexes).
MK Builders Plate Key Fobs.
Company Logo folders, pens, letter openers, and desk sets.
A variety of coffee cups, particularly MK1200G and MK5000C. These were mostly arranged by the Publications Manager and Training Manager.

Just for information.

 #188496  by tominboise
 
They also produced their own MU receptacles, which are a nice cast aluminum housing with the MKRail logo on them. I see them occasionally on UP locomotives.

 #346716  by RAS
 
The general lack of respect for this builder continues to be remarkable. Not only do they not rate a separate discussion on this forum despite a very long time in the locomotive building business, but they are the continual subject of bashing in some discussions (Metra in particular) with many absurdly hateful remarks posted about them. Given the apparent pro-EMD/GE bias among railfans, there is a lack of coverage of this company in publications as well as on the internet, and this is eventually going to result in the loss of a lot of information about their participation in the industry.