Milwaukee Locomotive Manufacturing Company

machinehead61 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:41 pm

Does anyone have any documented history for this company?

This website claims history linking Whitcomb to Milwaukee but no documentation.

http://www.rail.lu/milwaukee.html

This link confirms ownership of Milwaukee Locomotive but is before the supposed Whitcomb take over.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 777,920678

I've called the Milwaukee Historical Society, the Milwaukee Library and UWM Library - nothing.

Any help from anybody?

Steve

David H. Hamley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm **Posts:** 705

I have some early Milwaukee Locomotive Mfg. catalogs that cover their history up to the 1920s. In 1932 the company's assets were sold to Whitcomb and a few locos were assembled and delivered after that date. Their parent company was sold to Westinghouse Air Brake and much of the MLMCo records ended up at the WABCo plant at Wilmerding, PA. Those were trashed in the 1950s, but fortunately the resident railfan there at the time saved a selection of catalogs. SFAIK, there is no existing production record by serial number except for those few delivered after the Whitcomb takeover.

You may PM me for some further information.

machinehead61 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:46 pm

David H. Hamley wrote:

I have some early Milwaukee Locomotive Mfg. catalogs that cover their history up to the 1920s. In 1932 the company's assets were sold to Whitcomb and a few locos were assembled and delivered after that date. Their parent company was sold to Westinghouse Air Brake and much of the MLMCo records ended up at the WABCo plant at Wilmerding, PA. Those were trashed in the 1950s, but fortunately the resident railfan there at the time saved a selection of catalogs. SFAIK, there is no existing production record by serial number except for those few delivered after the Whitcomb takeover.

You may PM me for some further information.

The article from the Milwaukee Journal I posted a link to, stated that Westinghouse owned National Brake and Electric Company at that time (1929) four years before the supposed Whitcomb take over. I'll PM you about documented sources.

Thank you for your time. :)

Steve

machinehead61 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:54 am

The Wisconsin Historical Society has a box of information on the Milwaukee Locomotive Mfg. Co. I won't be able to get up there until after the holidays. If there are any Wisconsin members of this forum that are interested in searching this archived material for me until I can get up there, let me know.

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/library ... mestic.asp

Quote:

Domestic Corporations, 1848-1945

Corporation Name: Milwaukee Locomotive Mfg. Co.

File Number: M 001831

Box Number: 0519

County: Milwaukee

Thank you.

Steve 613

machinehead61 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:22 pm

It appears that at least the Smithsonian has a catalog of parts from 1931:

http://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ip ... 0743#focus

And the MERLIN - Missouri Education and Research Libraries Information Network - has a catalog:

http://laurel.lso.missouri.edu/search~S6/o13308331

And the UWM -

http://search.library.wisc.edu/catalog/ocm45078626

That is a lot of traveling for this poor researcher.

God only knows how many other Milwaukee Locomotive Mfg. Co. publications are hiding in attics and basements risking damage/loss.

Steve