Rhode Island Locomotive Works
Encyclopedia
Rhode 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. The locomotive works employed about 1,400 men, and had an annual production capacity of 250 locomotives.
The company was located on Hemlock Street in Providence and between 1866 and 1899, produced some 3,400 steam locomotives during that period.
in 1868 and took a special two-year course but did not graduate. He then went to Germany to study at Heidelberg University. After joining the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1872, he remained with the company until 1895, eventually becoming vice-president. He married on April 18, 1872, at New York City, to Mary Elizabeth Raymond, (born September 10, 1849, in New York City and died on June 13, 1897, in Morristown, New Jersey). She was the daughter of Henry Jarvis Raymond
, the founder of The New York Times
, and Juliette Weaver.
(ALCO), headquartered in Schenectady, New York. At this point the Rhode Island works had already begun to diversify, shifting production towards a line of automobiles and trucks at the Providence plant from 1906 until 1913.
buildings, is currently the center of a $333 million commercial and residential redevelopment project that went bankrupt in 2010.
unless otherwise noted.
A Rhode Island-built 4-6-0 locomotive was reported to have been quite literally unearthed in Australia circa 2000. According to the report, it was buried as fill for a new bridge abutment during World War II. The report at the time stated that because of the dry local conditions, it was still in very good shape. It was also stated that an attempt would be made to preserve it. No further info on the present fate of this engine is available.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
manufacturing company of the 19th century located in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence 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...
. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plants locomotive production was shut down. The locomotive works employed about 1,400 men, and had an annual production capacity of 250 locomotives.
Origins
The Rhode Island Locomotive Works was established in 1865 by Earl Philip Mason, Sr. The company was later run by his three sons: Charles Felix Mason was president, Arthur Livingstone Mason was vice-president and Earl Philip Mason, Jr. was secretary and treasurer. Joseph Lythgoe was the superintendent of the locomotive works.The company was located on Hemlock Street in Providence and between 1866 and 1899, produced some 3,400 steam locomotives during that period.
Earl Philip Mason
Earl Philip Mason, Sr. was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 5, 1848, and died at San Antonio, Texas, on March 17, 1901. He was the son of Earl Philip and Lucy Ann (Larcher) Mason. He received his early education at Mowry & Goff's School and at the Highland Military Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. He entered Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1868 and took a special two-year course but did not graduate. He then went to Germany to study at Heidelberg University. After joining the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1872, he remained with the company until 1895, eventually becoming vice-president. He married on April 18, 1872, at New York City, to Mary Elizabeth Raymond, (born September 10, 1849, in New York City and died on June 13, 1897, in Morristown, New Jersey). She was the daughter of Henry Jarvis Raymond
Henry Jarvis Raymond
Henry Jarvis Raymond was an American journalist and politician and founder of The New York Times.-Early life and ancestors:...
, the founder of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and Juliette Weaver.
Merger
In 1901, the Rhode Island Locomotive Works merged with seven other locomotive manufacturers to form the American Locomotive CompanyAmerican Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
(ALCO), headquartered in Schenectady, New York. At this point the Rhode Island works had already begun to diversify, shifting production towards a line of automobiles and trucks at the Providence plant from 1906 until 1913.
Present day
The old Rhode Island Locomotive Works plant, along with the adjoining Nicholson File and United States Rubber CompanyUnited States Rubber Company
The United States Rubber Company was founded in Naugatuck, Connecticut in 1892. It was one of the original 12 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and became Uniroyal Inc...
buildings, is currently the center of a $333 million commercial and residential redevelopment project that went bankrupt in 2010.
Preserved Rhode Island locomotives
The following locomotives (in serial number order) built by Rhode Island before the ALCO merger have been preserved. All locations are in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
unless otherwise noted.
| Serial number | Wheel arrangement (Whyte notation Whyte notation The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal... ) |
Build date | Operational owner(s) | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1595 | 2-8-0 2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... |
March 1886 | Colorado and Southern Railway Colorado and Southern Railway The Colorado and Southern Railway was a railroad company in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.The railway began as the... #60 |
Anderson Park, Idaho Springs, Colorado Idaho Springs, Colorado The City of Idaho Springs is a municipality in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the most populous settlement in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon, in the mountains upstream from Golden, some thirty miles west of Denver... |
| 1877 | 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
October 1887 | Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway #38, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway #321, rebuilt to 0-6-0T and renumbered #X-90, (since rebuilt back to 0-6-0) |
Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,053, with over 50,000 residents in the surrounding communities... |
| 2943 | 0-4-4 0-4-4 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles... T |
July 1893 | Lake Street Elevated Railroad Lake Street Elevated Railroad The Lake Street Elevated Railroad was the second permanent elevated rapid transit line to be constructed in Chicago, Illinois. The first section of the line opened on November 6, 1893, and its route is still used today as part of the Green Line route of the Chicago 'L' system.-Beginnings:The Lake... #9 |
Museum of Transportation Museum of Transportation The Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history... , Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west... |
| 3030 | 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... T |
December 1894 | Mathieson Alkali Works #2 | Saltville Museum, Saltville, Virginia Saltville, Virginia As of the census of 2000, there were 2,204 people, 909 households, and 660 families residing in the town. The population density was 273.7 people per square mile . There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 124.5 per square mile... |
| 3147 | 2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
November 1899 | Wabash Railroad Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,... #573 |
Museum of Transportation Museum of Transportation The Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history... , Kirkwood, Missouri |
A Rhode Island-built 4-6-0 locomotive was reported to have been quite literally unearthed in Australia circa 2000. According to the report, it was buried as fill for a new bridge abutment during World War II. The report at the time stated that because of the dry local conditions, it was still in very good shape. It was also stated that an attempt would be made to preserve it. No further info on the present fate of this engine is available.