Does anyone have an exact date when EMD’s Plant 2 in Pullman, Illinois began operations? The December 1968 Trains article, “How the “Home of the Diesel Locomotive” builds diesels” by Jerry A. Pinkepank, pp 26-32 has a partial answer. On page 28 Pinkepank writes that EMD leased the facility from the Defense Plant Corporation in 1946.
Ed in Kentucky
Well no, the Defense Plant Corporation did not exist in 1946. Its assets had been folded back into the Reconstruction Finance Corporation as of July 1, 1945. See https://utahrails.net/industries/defense-plant-corp.php The building EMD leased from the RFC in 1946 had apparently been used in manufacturing aircraft subassemblies.
Ed in Kentucky
See 1943, 103rd Street facility: The Pullman History Site : The Pullman Company : A Pullman Timeline (pullman-museum.org)
A personal sideline here: In 1951, the site of the Pullman School was purchased by the Order of St. Augustine and opened as Mendel Catholic High School.
On a side not. What year did EMD cease operations at Plant#2? Were the operations moved to Plant#1 or sourced to outside suppliers?
I don’t recall the exact year but it would have been in the early 80’s. The crankcase fabrication was moved to the Fab Building which was eventually renamed as the Engine Plant, most of the rest of the fabrications made at Plant 2 like cab wall kits, fuel tanks, and exhaust manifolds to name a few were outsourced. SuperSteel in Milwaukee got a lot of the fabrications but not nearly all.
Dave