American Locomotive Company
Overview
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco (or incorrectly ALCo), was a builder of railroad locomotive
s in the United States
.
The company was created in 1901 from the merger of several smaller locomotive manufacturers:
The new company was headquartered in Schenectady and eventually closed all the other locomotive manufacturing plants, except for the main plants in Schenectady, New York, and Montreal, Quebec.
In 1904, control of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal
, Quebec, was acquired; this company was eventually renamed the Montreal Locomotive Works
(MLW), and after over 50 years of closely working together, was to ultimately continue locomotive manufacturing operations after the U.S.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The company was created in 1901 from the merger of several smaller locomotive manufacturers:
- Brooks Locomotive WorksBrooks Locomotive WorksThe Brooks Locomotive Works manufactured steam railroad locomotives and freight cars from 1869 through its merger into the American Locomotive Company until 1934.-History:...
in Dunkirk, New York - Cooke Locomotive and Machine WorksCooke Locomotive and Machine WorksThe Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works, located in Paterson, New Jersey, manufactured steam railroad locomotives from 1852 until it was merged with seven other manufacturers to form American Locomotive Company in 1901...
in Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New JerseyPaterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023... - Dickson Manufacturing CompanyDickson Manufacturing CompanyDickson Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of boilers and steam engines used in various industries but most known in railway steam locomotives...
in Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S... - Manchester Locomotive WorksManchester Locomotive WorksManchester Locomotive Works was a manufacturing company located in Manchester, New Hampshire, that built steam locomotives in the 19th century. The first locomotive they built was for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in March 1855. In 1901, Manchester and seven other locomotive...
in Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New HampshireManchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which... - Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car WorksPittsburgh Locomotive and Car WorksThe Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works was a railroad equipment manufacturing company founded by Andrew Carnegie and T.N. Miller in 1865. It was located in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.It repaired an early locomotive known as Bausman's Rhinoceros in April 1867....
in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States... - Rhode Island Locomotive WorksRhode Island Locomotive WorksRhode Island Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company of the 19th century located in Providence, Rhode Island. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plants locomotive production was shut down...
in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region... - Richmond Locomotive WorksRichmond Locomotive WorksRichmond Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing firm located in Richmond, Virginia. It began operation in 1887 and produced approximately 4,500 engines during its 40 years of operation...
in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... - Schenectady Locomotive WorksSchenectady Locomotive WorksThe Schenectady Locomotive Works built railroad locomotives from its founding in 1848 through its merger into American Locomotive Company in 1901.After the 1901 merger, ALCO made the Schenectady plant its headquarters in Schenectady, New York....
in Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New YorkSchenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
The new company was headquartered in Schenectady and eventually closed all the other locomotive manufacturing plants, except for the main plants in Schenectady, New York, and Montreal, Quebec.
In 1904, control of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec, was acquired; this company was eventually renamed the Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...
(MLW), and after over 50 years of closely working together, was to ultimately continue locomotive manufacturing operations after the U.S.
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