Lima Locomotive Works

This is a photo of the Lima Locomotive Works plant. This photo shows a part of the process of assembling locomotives. The company was established in 1879 and originally known as the Lima Machinery Works. The company is best known for producing the Shay geared logging steam locomotive, and for being the home of William E. Woodard's "Super Power" advanced steam locomotive concept - exemplified by the prototype 2-8-4 Berkshire, Lima demonstrator A-1. The company stopped producing train engines in 1949, having made a total of 7,769 locomotives. This made Lima Locomotive Works the 3rd largest locomotive manufacturer in the United States. In 1947, the firm merged with General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio, to form Lima-Hamilton. Lima's last steam locomotive was Nickel Plate Road No. 779, a 2-8-4 "Berkshire", which left the erecting halls in 1949. That same year Lima promoted a new wheel arrangement, the 4-8-6. This would have allowed an even larger firebox than the 4-8-4. No example of the type was built, however. In 1951, Lima-Hamilton merged with Baldwin Locomotive Works to form Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton (BLH). The Lima-Hamilton line of Diesels was discontinued, in favor of Baldwin's existing line. Though Lima and Baldwin had been known for high-quality steam locomotives, their line of diesel-electric locomotives was unable to compete with EMD, Alco, and GE. BLH left the locomotive business in 1956.