The Canadian Locomotive Company in Kington, Ontario had its beginnings with a number of predecessor businesses.

The Ontario Foundry, began business in 1848 and later was referred to as the “Kingston Locomotive Works”, after it began constructing locomotives. The first steam locomotive was turned out on Wednesday, December 20, 1854. It was the first of four locomotives for the newly building Grand Trunk Railway of Canada. A further order of five locomotives for the GTR was to follow in October and November 1856. Less than three dozen locomotives were built before the business went bankrupt in 1860.

It was followed in 1865 by a shareholder owned company, Canadian Engine & Machinery Company. It too ran into financial troubles during the depression of 1878-79 and went bankrupt. It was re-organized in February 1878, as the Canadian Locomotive and Engine Company Ltd. Re-organized once again in April 1881 the plant was updated and expanded considerably. The syndicate of investors who owned the Canadian Pacific Railway also owned much of the CL&EC, and when funds were need to further their works on the CPR, they sold their shares to respected locomotive builder Dubs and Company, Glasgow, Scotland, which eventually gained control effective January 1, 1888. CL&EC became a major supplier to the CPR delivering nearly one-third of their locomotives over many decades. These Dubs-boilered locomotives were durable and long lasting engines.

The CPR and the GTR both began building their own locomotives and as a result of the loss of this business bankruptcy once again hit in January 1900 and the plant was closed. It was bought by new investors and incorporated in February 1901 as the Canadian Locomotive Company Ltd. Improvements followed which allowed production of one locomotive per week. Re-organization once again took place under new management in June 1911 although the name remained the same.

CLC contributed to the war effort in two world wars manufacturing armaments and munitions, as did the shops of MLW, CPR and others. Large numbers of locomotives were also built for the war effort and for reconstruction afterwards.

Steam technology was at its peak by the end of World War II and production was largely ending except for exports to France, Belgium and India. CLC felt its future lay with diesel locomotives and it sought out opportunities with existing builders in the United States.

Canadian Locomotive Company in 1948 became representative in Canada for Baldwin Locomotive Works which also owned Whitcomb Locomotive Works. The result was less than outstanding what with the troubled Stirling engined_Whitcomb locomotives built for CNR and the small orders for Baldwin’s designs. CLC then turned to Fairbanks_Morse and Baldwin’s shares in CLC were acquired in 1950 by the newly formed Canadian Fairbanks Morse. Orders were more extensive and longer lasting (until 1957). However, these too fell off and in the end, F_M got out of the locomotive business both here in Canada and in the United States as did BLW and other manufacturers leaving the field to two companies, General Electric and General Motors Diesel.

Before this however, CLC also sought more opportunities in the export market with the involvement of government agencies, exporting small industrial locomotives of Davenport-Besler design. In 1955 CLC bought the Davenport-Besler Corp. Inc., including its inventory of Porter locomotives. A Canadian-only DTC (Diesel Torque Converter) was built for the CPR. It was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive rather than the usual diesel-electric.

On July 26, 1965 CLC became Fairbanks Morse (Canada) Ltd. and it was no longer an independent Canadian company. Locomotive construction dwindled even further as the company branched out into industrial machinery, marine engines, weigh scales etc. None of this could save the company. Declining business and a union strike in April 1969 closed the plant that June. It was demolished in August 1971 after having constructed over 3000 locomotives from its earliest beginnings making it at the time, Canada’s second largest commercial builder after Montreal Locomotive Works.

The accomplishments of the Canadian Locomotive Company were many and included:

More to follow ………….