Plymouth was a major builder of small locomotives for a long time and then it disapeared after it was aquired by Ohio Locomotive Crane. What happened? Did Ohio Locomotive mismanage Plymouth after they aquired it? Was Plymouth already in an irreversable decline before it was aquired? With other mom and pop operations, such as brookeville, why no Plymouth?
No idea. One thing is that Plymouth’s heyday was when loaded freight cars were in the 50-60 ton gross weight. With today’s freight cars favoring the gross weight at the 286K, it doesn’t take many cars to be way beyond the ability of any thing Plymouth built to be able to hanle. Secondly, as time passed, 1st Generation diesels, both switchers and road units became plentiful and cheap on the second hand locomotive market and they had abilities far in excess of what Plymouth was building.
Plymouth ‘Engines’ that I recall seeing ( and there were not many!); seemed to be mopre of a ‘cobbled together’ product(?)… The frame and ody seemed tom be a fairly well put together product, ut the ‘power’ seemed to be sadly lacking in oooom;lpgh(?)…, The engines I saw ran the gamot of flat heaqd Fords, and automotive ‘refits’, to obviously, under-powered six cylinders of automotive origins; BaltACD is right on target with his assessment of them. Their target market seemed to be small mining operators, sand pits, and gravel pits, and small plants where one car might need top be moved sort distance ?
In the 1950’s, and into the 19 60 's, there was a lot of fully-sized power from all manufacturers available to move heavier loads, around, if needed…
Even the traditional end cab switcher is getting rare…
Except on the Union RR, one of my favorites.
Don’t forget about Trackmobiles and Shuttlewagons. There are a lot more of them around now than when I started.
Overlooked them!
Trackmobile has a hell of a sales team, apparently.
One of our customers did get their little plymouth rebuilt in the past few years by Plymouth Locomotive Services, if I remember right.
Here’s the replacement. The need hasn’t gone away. But another company is doing the job. If you stand still and resist innovation, you’ll get destroyed.
Ohio Locomotive Crane was purchased by IPS Cranes
IPS Cranes acquires American & Ohio Locomotive Crane | Trains Magazine
You may be on to something in terms of weight
"History[edit]
Plymouth locomotives were first built in 1910 by the J. D. Fate Company, which became Fate-Root-Heath in 1919.[2] The J.D. Fate patent application filed in 1917 shows the engine driving a clutch and a continuously variable transmission that allowed varying the speed through zero to reverse the locomotive. The output of the transmission drove a transverse jackshaft through a chain drive, with additional drive chains to the two
Plymouth Locomotive Works, J.D. Fate Company, Fate Root Heath Co. never was in the heavy rail locomotive manufacturing business, so it is hardly fair to call them a failure for not keeping up in that market. From what I know of them, they were highly innovative in their market of smaller industrial locomotives, as well as farm tractors, and a vast array of industrial plant equipment.
According to one source,
"The Fate Root Heath Company of Plymouth, Ohio was one of the first and largest manufac
What happened is the way the realtiobship between railroads and small customers changed. Bulk products went to Bulkmatic Terminals to be picked up by trucks and customers sidings were cut and incurred huge annual switch maintlance fees
You’re missing his point. What he’s saying is that in the olden days, a Plymouth loco could move around 5-6 cars at a time, with the new, heavier cars, it can only move 1-2 cars. Therefore, they really aren’t cost effective today.
I would opine that today’s Trackmobile-type car movers are probably a suitable replacement for the Plymouths. And if you need it out of the way, you just drive it off the tracks.
That such machines still run in many places tends to say that there could still be a market where moving just a few cars is the norm.
As late as 1972, the US Steel warehouse in Hegewisch had a Trackmobile for moving cars (both loaded and empty) within the plant, usually one at a time. There are Shuttlewagons currently in service at Barr (CSX) and at Amtrak’s coach yard at Chicago Union Station, usually associated with running repairs to cars.
The point is fine, but what does it have to do with the OP’s question of what happened to Plymouth Locomotive Works? As far as I know, Plymouth never was marketing locomotives to move standard gage railcars around in the role of a trackmobile. So why cite that as a drawback?
Most (if not all) of their locomotives did have a very functional appearance similar to that of a trackmobile because they were built for private industrial railroads such as tramways for mines and brickyards, most of which were narrow gage, Although they did offer larger switcher locomotives up to standard gage, but mainly targeted toward the standard gage shortline market.
Plymouth and its derived companies were far more diverse in their product offerings than any heavy rail locomotive manufacturer or any trackmobile manufacturer. They chose their markets and successfully served them.
They didn’t market their locomotives to move cars?
Could be why they failed.
Being able to put on and off is a time saver when working switching moves. Why buy something in the same tonnage class that can’t leave the rails?
I mean, they CAN leave the rails. Not recommended, though.