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Diesel Builders, The Volume 1 Fairbanks-Morse And Lima-Hamilton w/Dust Jacket
Diesel Builders, The Volume One Fairbanks-Morse And Lima-Hamilton Interurbans Special #98
By John F. Kirkland
Hardbound with Dustjacket
119 pages
Copyright 1985
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6
INTRODUCTION 9
One: FAIRBANKS-MORSE 11
History
Locomotive Production
Part Two: LIMA-HAMILTON 69
History
Locomotive Production
id Lima-Hamilton Merger
DIESELS IN COLOR 96 BUILDERS' LISTS 104
INDEX 116
FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, the entry of Fairbanks-Morse and Lima-Hamilton into the Diesel locomotive business following World War II was perfectly logical. Both were already builders of the mechanical portions that would house the machinery and equipment and both were builders of Diesel engines. And by the time Japan was on the eve of submission at the hands of the Allied powers, it was obvious that the steam locomotive was on its way out.
Both Fairbanks-Morse and Lima-Hamilton had been a volume builder of Diesel engines for the war effort and had made a substantial investment in machine tools and facilities. What better way to use these facilities than to cash in on the investment American railroads were about to make in Diesel locomotives?
Thus the two builders took the plunge. Fairbanks-Morse, Lima and Hamilton as separate concerns had dealt with the railroad industry for years-Lima in particular as a builder of high-quality steam locomotives of innovative design. Now they took a fresh run at the business at a time when Diesel power was in demand.
What happened from that point forward is the subject of this book by John F. Kirkland. The stage for these developments has been set for the reader by Mr. Kirkland in his widely acclaimed book, DAWN OF THE DIESEL AGE (Interurban Press, 1983).
Now, he gives us the complete history of these two builders of Diesel locomotives, with a full discussion of the various models and their use on North American railroads. This history is complemented with a treasury of rare photographs and an all-time builders' list for each company.
We believe this volume, our Special 98, offers up another important chapter in American transportation and industrial history and are confident that it will uphold the high standard of engineering scholarship Mr. Kirkland set in his first book.
INTRODUCTION
THIS COMBINED PRESENTATION of Fairbanks-Morse and Lima-Hamilton's participation in the Diesel locomotive business does not imply that there ever was any commercial or corporate relationship between the two companies during their brief excursion into this activity in which they had much in common.
Neither firm entered the field until World War II was winding down. At that time neither was a builder of the electric transmissions that their locomotives would require. Both were builders of the mechanical portions that would house the machinery and equipment and both were builders of the Diesel engines that would power their locomotives.
Both had been a volume builder of Diesel engines for the war effort and to this end had made substantial investments in machine tools and facilities. With the end of the war, these facilities would be used only at a fraction of their wartime capacity. Both saw that by entering into the Diesel locomotive business a demand would be created for some of this unused production capacity.
Both entered this activity at a time when the momentum to convert railroad motive power from steam to Diesel was rapidly increasing and both left the industry when this conversion was approaching completion and acquisitions of new power were principally confined to replacing older Diesel locomotives that had been placed in service prior to and during WWII.
The types of engines that were used by both builders to power their locomotives remain in use today in applications other than that of powering locomoti+es. Fairbanks-Morse remains a domestic builder of engines and with the passing of time has brought out advanced designs which are used for stationary power generation and marine propulsion purposes. In the case of Lima-Hamilton, revised versions of its locomotive engines are being built at this writing under license in Belgium. No partiality has been intended to be shown by placing the Fairbanks-Morse presentation ahead of that of Lima-Hamilton. One or the other had to be first and, therefore, the two were arranged in the alphabetical sequence of their corporate names.
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