Ensign Manufacturing Company
Encyclopedia
Ensign Manufacturing Company, founded as Ensign Car Works in 1872, was a railroad
car manufacturing company based in Huntington, West Virginia
. In the 1880s and 1890s Ensign's production of wood freight cars made the company of the three largest sawmill
operators in Cabell County
. In 1899, Ensign and twelve other companies were merged to form American Car and Foundry Company
.
, in 1872 by Ely Ensign and William H. Barnum
, who managed a car wheel manufacturing company, the Barnum and Richardson Company, in Connecticut
. The company was incorporated on November 1, 1872. Financing was provided primarily by Barnum and Collis P. Huntington, who was one of the principals in the Central Pacific Railroad
and after whom the town of Huntington was named.
For the first ten years of production, Ensign manufactured iron parts such as railroad car wheels. The company began building wooden freight cars in the early 1880s, selling a large portion of its inventory to the Chesapeake and Ohio, Southern Pacific
and Central Pacific
railroads, all of which were controlled by Huntington.
In 1881, Ferdinand E. Canda, a proponent of wooden freight car design who had built freight cars in the 1870s in Chicago
, joined the Ensign Car Works as general manager. Canda designed an improved stock car
to haul cattle and ordered 1,000 cars of this design from Ensign in 1890; the cars were delivered to the Canda Cattle Car Company. Canda then designed an improvement to the drop-bottom gondola
which was used in coal
service at the time; his design featured a pair of sliding sheet metal doors (as opposed to the more common hinged doors) at the car's center. A car of this design, built at Ensign, was shown at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1893. After the exposition and Panic of 1893
, Ensign Car Works closed for a period of seven months, reopening on January 3, 1894.
With Huntington's backing, Canda designed a 40 feet (12.2 m) long boxcar
that could carry 50 tons of freight. Canda's design used wood construction despite the fact that steel construction was becoming more common in freight car design at the time. Huntington purchased 2,000 cars for Southern Pacific Railroad following this design.
After the 1899 merger that formed American Car and Foundry Company
(ACF), Canda stayed on with the former Ensign plant designing and building Central Pacific Railroad's largest wooden-frame hopper car
s. The car design was similar to CP's large boxcar order from a short time earlier, featuring a 50 ton capacity in a 36 feet (11 m) long car, but this car included cast steel bolsters. CP ordered 300 cars of this design.
Freight car production continued at the former Ensign plant under ACF, with the first all-steel freight car built in the winter of 1905/06. During World War II
, a number of cars were built there to British
designs for export. The former Ensign plant continued as a major freight car manufacturing plant through the 1990s, when the plant was used to produce ACF's Centerflow hoppers.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
car manufacturing company based in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. In the 1880s and 1890s Ensign's production of wood freight cars made the company of the three largest sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
operators in Cabell County
Cabell County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 96,784 people, 41,180 households, and 25,490 families residing in the county. The population density was 344 people per square mile . There were 45,615 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile...
. In 1899, Ensign and twelve other companies were merged to form American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches under the brand names of ACF and ACF-Brill. Today ACF is known as ACF Industries LLC and is based in St. Charles, Missouri...
.
History
Ensign Car Works was founded in Huntington, West VirginiaHuntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, in 1872 by Ely Ensign and William H. Barnum
William Henry Barnum
William Henry Barnum was a United States politician, serving as a state representative, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and finally as chairman of the Democratic National Committee...
, who managed a car wheel manufacturing company, the Barnum and Richardson Company, in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The company was incorporated on November 1, 1872. Financing was provided primarily by Barnum and Collis P. Huntington, who was one of the principals in the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
and after whom the town of Huntington was named.
For the first ten years of production, Ensign manufactured iron parts such as railroad car wheels. The company began building wooden freight cars in the early 1880s, selling a large portion of its inventory to the Chesapeake and Ohio, Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
and Central Pacific
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
railroads, all of which were controlled by Huntington.
In 1881, Ferdinand E. Canda, a proponent of wooden freight car design who had built freight cars in the 1870s in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, joined the Ensign Car Works as general manager. Canda designed an improved stock car
Stock car (rail)
In railroad terminology, a stock car or cattle wagon is a type of rolling stock used for carrying livestock to market...
to haul cattle and ordered 1,000 cars of this design from Ensign in 1890; the cars were delivered to the Canda Cattle Car Company. Canda then designed an improvement to the drop-bottom gondola
Gondola (rail)
In railroad terminology, a gondola is an open-top type of rolling stock that is used for carrying loose bulk materials. Because of its low side walls, gondolas are used to carry either very dense material, such as steel plates or coils, or bulky items such as prefabricated pieces of rail...
which was used in coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
service at the time; his design featured a pair of sliding sheet metal doors (as opposed to the more common hinged doors) at the car's center. A car of this design, built at Ensign, was shown at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago in 1893. After the exposition and Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, Ensign Car Works closed for a period of seven months, reopening on January 3, 1894.
With Huntington's backing, Canda designed a 40 feet (12.2 m) long boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
that could carry 50 tons of freight. Canda's design used wood construction despite the fact that steel construction was becoming more common in freight car design at the time. Huntington purchased 2,000 cars for Southern Pacific Railroad following this design.
After the 1899 merger that formed American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches under the brand names of ACF and ACF-Brill. Today ACF is known as ACF Industries LLC and is based in St. Charles, Missouri...
(ACF), Canda stayed on with the former Ensign plant designing and building Central Pacific Railroad's largest wooden-frame hopper car
Hopper car
A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....
s. The car design was similar to CP's large boxcar order from a short time earlier, featuring a 50 ton capacity in a 36 feet (11 m) long car, but this car included cast steel bolsters. CP ordered 300 cars of this design.
Freight car production continued at the former Ensign plant under ACF, with the first all-steel freight car built in the winter of 1905/06. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a number of cars were built there to British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
designs for export. The former Ensign plant continued as a major freight car manufacturing plant through the 1990s, when the plant was used to produce ACF's Centerflow hoppers.