Grant Locomotive Works was a manufacturer of steam railway locomotives from 1867 to 1895, first in Paterson, New Jersey and then in Chicago. The company built approximately 1,888 locomotives.[1]
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In 1842, Samuel Smith, Abram Collier, and George Bradley started a small foundry in Paterson. In 1848, Smith left the business, selling his interest to Collier, and formed a new partnership with his brother, William C. Smith, Henry Whitely, and Thomas Beggs. Beggs died soon thereafter and William Smith and Whitely sold their interests. William Swinburne, who had been superintendent at Rogers Locomotive Works bought Beggs's interest. The firm was renamed Swinburne, Smith & Co. In 1848 they took an order for ten locomotives for the New York and Erie Railroad. The business prospered and in 1851 they received a corporate charter as New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company. The business grew slowly and in 1863-64 Oliver De Forest Grant bought the stock and ran the business with his sons, David B. Grant and R. Suydam Grant. The father died shortly thereafter and David Grant took over as President.[2]
The namesake of the 2-8-0, Consolidation, type was designed by Alexander Mitchell, Master Mechanic of the Mahanoy Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1866. Baldwin was asked to build it, but was reluctant; Rogers also declined. Grant submitted a bid of $19,500, but ultimately the contract went to Baldwin.[3] Fifteen years later, in 1881 the Baldwin Locomotive Works was unable to fill an order of Consolidations from the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, and part of the contract went to Grant to build that railroad's C-16-60N (better known as C-16) class steam locomotives. One of the two surviving Grant-built locomotives, D&RGW 223, was built to this Consoldiation design.[4]
In 1867, the business was granted a New Jersey corporate charter as Grant Locomotive Works. The business muddled along, "rarely enjoying continuing financial success".[3] The boilermakers struck for higher wages in 1872; Grant locked them out and eventually replaced them for less money. In 1874, the Russian government ordered 55 Consolidations, but difficulties arose and ultimately the Russians canceled 20 of the order at a significant loss to Grant. David S. Grant retired on January 1, 1880 and was succeeded by William W. Evans who had been chief accountant since 1866. Two years later, the company had 720 men on the payroll and had completed 110 engines in 1881. In 1882, the company owned 157,000 square feet (14,600 m2) of manufacturing and office space in nine buildings, of which it occupied 126,665 square feet (11,767.6 m2). [2] The company suffered a serious fire in 1887, losing half of its buildings.[1]
A group of Chicago businessmen convinced the company to move there. They spent more than a million dollars on buildings and installed largely new machinery, only certain patterns being brought from Paterson. The company built only 24 engines in Chicago before a strike and the Panic of 1893 forced it into receivership, from which it did not recover.[1]
The company built locomotives for at least 134 domestic railroads, including:
Until the early 1870s, these were largely Americans (4-4-0s), with very occasional six wheel switchers (0-6-0s), Moguls (2-6-0s), and Ten Wheelers (4-6-0)s. In 1865 they built 22 eight wheel switchers (0-8-0s) for the B&O. The order for the Russian government was apparently their first 2-8-0s. In 1878, they built 35 Columbias (2-4-2s) for the Manhattan elevated railway. From 1878 to 1882, they built 96 Consolidations for the New York, Lake Erie & Western. Their first three foot gauge order was for the Utah Northern, a narrow gauge line that ran from Ogden, Utah to Butte, Montana. These locomotives were 2-4-0 type, and were delivered in 1871.[5] A later narrow gauge order was made by the Denver and Rio Grande in 1881, for 30 Consolidations of the 60N (later C-16) class. Their next narrow gauge order was 20 engines for the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis, which defaulted on payment. Grant was only able to sell these at a significant loss, which was a contributing factor to its financial weakness.[1]