Was the N&W the only railroad to build their own locomotives?
No! Lets see Great Northern, Southern Pacific come immediatly to mind I also believe PRR and some others built steam locomotives as well.And there were many other railroads that rebuilt locomotives even changing wheel arrangements etc.
Canadian Pacific built a lot in Montreal if you are going to include Canadians.
N&W can certainly claim to have built the best and the last ones.
At various times in their histories, the Milwaukee Road and the Burlington built their own locomotives. I’ve also heard in some instances that railroads would purchase boilers from the locomotive builders, and build the rest of the locomotive themselves.
A railroad with a well-equipped and well-staffed shop could build a locomotive from scratch. (And some rebuild jobs almost seemed like that.)
Add the Reading to the list.
Will
Add Illinois Central, Cotton Belt, Central Pacific . CP/ SP for example provided locomotive building/rebuilding for roads not equipped for the task of locomotive assembly such as the Virginia & Truckee, Nevada County narrow guage, Carson & Colorado, Mohawk & Valley Western and numerous long forgotten lumber lines.
The rebuilding activities at IC’s Paducah, KY shops are the stuff of legends. They also helped to keep steam alive for a bit longer than most neighboring roads.
The D&H built thier own, they even made some of the highest pressure conventional locomotives operated.
The Lehigh Valley had so many different shops that made locomotives and each shop foreman had his own ideas what made a good locomotive that there was no standardization for quite a while.
The B&O was famous for thier “Camel” locomotives, and earlier for thier “Grasshopper” locomotives. Most, if not all were home built.
IIRC the very large drivered 6-2-0 locomotives on the Camden and Amboy were home made. Can anyone confirm?
L&N did have some home-builts come out of South Louisville Shops.
The St Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) built locomotives at their Springfield, Missouri shops. The 4300s and 4400s were built from the ground up except for a few that were extensive rebuilds of old drag era engines. Intensive rebuilding and experimenting were hallmarks of the Frisco. Not to mention some of the cleanest, best maintained power around.
The PRR build a great number of locomotive for the line.
I know the question is steam but it might be interesting to note the PRR’s successor, NS, is still buidling locmotives.
At Altoona in the former PRR shops they still assemble new engines which arrive in kit form from the manufacturers.
Dale
I think the ATSF also build their own they experemented with compound and articulated modles the compound units did not work out well and were switched back glennbob