ALCO in World War Two

American Locomotive Company (Alco or ALCO) in World War Two
Schenectady, NY
1903-1969

This page updated 4-11-2022.

An American Auto Industry in World War Two Special Edition
The American Locomotive Company (Alco), like several other American manufacturers of steam locomotives, was picked by the U.S. Army to produce tanks and self-propelled guns during World War Two. Because their tanks were similar to those produced by Chrysler, Fisher Body, and Ford, and were used by many American tankers, Alco is being added to this website. A more direct connection to the American Automobile industry is the fact that Alco built automobiles from 1905-1913. Another direct connection to the American Automobile industry is that Walter Chrysler was the plant manager of the Alco automobile plant in Providence, Rhode Island in 1911. He left Alco to go to work for Buick in Flint, MI.

Alco was more than just a locomotive and armored vehicle manufacturer during World War Two. The company produced a broad range of products, as shown below, that helped win World War Two.

Alco was formed by the merger of the Schenectady Locomotive Works and seven other companies. With another acquisition in 1905, it became the second largest locomotive company in the United States. During its existence, it produced 75,000 locomotives. Most of them were steam; but it made the conversion to diesel-electric after World War Two.

The American Locomotive Company plant in Schenectady, NY won the Army-Navy "E" award two times.
The American Locomotive Company Railway Steel-Spring plant in Latrobe, PA won the Army-Navy "E" award four times.

American Locomotive Company World War Two Production Statistics: 157 RSD-1 diesel electric road switcher for the U.S. Army, 200 2-10-0 Decapod steam locomotives, 2,985 medium tanks, 3,314 M7 self-propelled 105mm howitzers, industrial heat exchangers, industrial pressure vessels, industrial pre-fabricated pipe, 90 marine boilers, forged gun barrels for 75mm pack howitzers, 76mm anti-tank guns, 90mm anti-aircraft guns and 155mm howitzers, marine steam turbine generator shafts, Liberty ship kingposts, masts, and top masts, springs for U.S. Navy fighter aircraft and for many U.S. Navy ship applications 105mm howitzer and 155mm Long Tom gun carriages. Alco was 34th in dollar value of World War Two production contracts.

Alco started work on the M3 medium tank in July 1940 with a promised order of 300 tanks from the U.S. Army. In November 1940 Alco received a contract for 685 M3 and M3A1 medium tanks. It was the first company to build an M3 that met all of the requirements of the U.S. Army. These were built in the Schenectady plant.
Alco's Product Division provided half of the heat exchangers used in producing synthetic rubber during World War Two.
Industrial heat exchangers, industrial pressure vessels, and pre-fabricated pipe were used by companies producing high octane gasoline for the war effort.
Alco reconditioned the original thirteen Alco-GE diesel electric locomotives for use in Iran to pull supply trains carrying Lend-Lease supplies to Russia.
In 1941 Alco began providing 90 marine boilers needed to complete a group of 10,000 ton merchant ships being built in Maine for the British. The first three boilers were completed five days ahead of schedule, with the entire order completed nine months ahead of schedule. The marine boilers weighed 60 tons and were 15 feet high. Special rail cars were needed to ship them from Schenectady, NY to Maine.
The several types of gun barrels noted above were constructed from ingots produced at its Latrobe, PA steel plant and then forged, machined, rough-bored, and heat treated at Schenectady, NY.
In 1942 Alco was requested by the U.S. Navy to produce 200 steam turbine generator shafts for its ship building program. It completed this order and continued to supply more of these items as the war continued.
The Alco plant at Dunkirk, NY, on Lake Erie, built Liberty ship kingposts, masts, and top masts. The first order was received in December 1940 from the U.S. Maritime Commission. Production of these products soon ramped up to 2,300 tons per month. The Dunkirk plant supplied the three largest shipyards building Liberty ships with their entire requirement of kingposts, masts, and top masts.
Dunkirk built 105mm howitzer and 155mm Long Tom gun carriages.
The Alco Latrobe, PA plant supplied a large variety of springs utilized in many military products. The plant supplied 75% of the springs in the F4F, F6F,TBM, F4U, and PT-19. It also provided 75% of the springs for the U.S. Navy submarines built during World War Two. Springs were also built for other navy vessels. Belleville springs were supplied for recoil mechanisms in 90mm anti-aircraft guns and 16-inch battleship main armament.

This is one of 157 RSD-1s that were built for the U.S. Army during World War Two. The U.S. Army used 87, thirteen of them for the Trans-Iranian Railroad. Seventy were shipped to the Soviet Union in 1945. Only 58 made it, as twelve were sunk while being shipped by U-boats. This example is part of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN.

This Alco-built RSD-1 pulled Joseph Stalin's train to the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945.

A 2-10-0 Decapod on display in Russia.

This World War One era 2-10-0 Decapod was built by Alco and is on display at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.

American Locomotive Company Tanks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945." Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Medium, M3		224	161				385
Medium, M3A1			300				300
Medium, M4(75)				2,150			2,150
Medium, M4A2(75)			126	24			150
Total		224	587	2,174			2,985

Author's Note and Disclaimer: The Detroit Office of Ordnance of the U.S. Army was the primary purchasing entity for vehicles for the U.S. Army during WWII. It also purchased vehicles for the USMC, US Navy, and for Lend-Lease. However, there were other organizations that also purchased vehicles including the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Army Signal Corps, Navy Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, and foreign countries making direct purchases.

American Locomotive Company Gun Motor Carriages Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945." Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Carriage, Motor, 105 mm howitzer, M7			2,028	786	500		3,314
Carriage, Motor, 90 mm gun, M36, conversion					413		413
Carriage, Motor, 90 mm gum, M36B2, conversion						672	672
Total			2,028	786	913	672	4,399

How cool is this? The first Sherman tank built by Alco was this M4A2, Serial Number 1405, built in September 1942. The Firefly turret with a British 17-pounder (76.2mm) main gun was added at the end of, or after, World War Two. Serial Number 1405 was originally armed with a 75mm main gun. Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

This is an Alco-built M4 Sherman tank, Serial Number 3949, built April 1943. Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

This Alco-built M4E9(75) is on display in front of the Am Vets 35 in Crestview, FL. This is serial number 1765 and was built in April 1943. It is the oldest surviving Alco M4. Author's photo added 4-22-2022.

Author's photo added 4-22-2022.

This is an Alco-built M4, Serial Number 25054, constructed July 1943. Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA. This is on outdoor display at the National Infantry Museum, just outside the gate to Fort Benning.

Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

This M7 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage is owned the Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles. It was built by Alco in November 1942 and carries Serial Number 1364.

Author's photo.

Alco M7 Serial Number 3248 is on display at the Russell Military Museum in Zion, IL. It was built September 1944. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Alco produced carriages for the 155mm Long Tom during World War Two. Author's photo added 9-30-2020.

Springs are an important part of military aircraft and perform necessary operations but are hidden from view. Alco produced 75% for the Grumman F6F shown above. It also produced 75% of the springs used in the F4F, TBM, F4U, and PT-19. Author's photo added 9-30-2020.

Alco also furnished 75% of the springs that were used in American submarines during World War Two. Author's photo added 9-30-2020.

The Belleville recoil springs in the 90mm anti-aircraft gun were also built by Alco. Author's photo added 9-30-2020.

Montreal Locomotive Works: In 1904 Alco acquired the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was renamed the Montreal Locomotive Works, which also produced tanks and self-propelled artillery for the Commonwealth forces in World War Two.

Montreal Locomotive Works World War Two Production Statistics: 1,949 Ram tanks (See Author's Note below), 188 M4A1 Grizzly tanks, and 2,150 Sexton self-propelled artillery carriages. The company also converted 200 M10A1 Wolverine tank destroyers to M36 Jackson tank destroyers. Late in the war, it converted another 52 M10 Wolverine tank destroyers to M36B2 Jackson tank destroyers.

Author's note: The number of Ram Tanks built by Montreal Locomotive Works varies depending on the source. The reported build quantities range from the 1,144, shown in the table below, to 2,032 on the high end. One source indicates around 2,000 were built. I have chosen the total of 1,949 from "Fact Sheet No. 16: Ram Tank" by the Canadian War Museum. This is the most well researched and comprehensive of the available sources on the Ram Tank. It shows there were 50 Ram Mark I's built with 2-pounder guns, 1,815 Ram Mark II's built with 6-pounder guns, and 84 Ram Mark II Observation Posts with no guns. It could be that Detroit Ordnance did the original ordering for the British Purchasing Commission. Then after 1,144, the British or Canadians ordered the remainder. After more than 75 years, we will never know. I will leave the table below on the webpage just for reference. DDJ 10-31-2019.

Montreal Locomotive Works Tanks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945." Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Medium, Ram I (British Contract)		31	19				50
Medium, Ram II (British Contract)			1,094				1,094
Total		31	1,113				1,144

Montreal Locomotive Works Gun Motor Carriages Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945." Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Carriage, Motor, 90 mm gun, M36, conversion						200	200
Carriage, Motor, 90 mm gum, M36B2, conversion						52	52
Total						252	252

This Montreal Locomotive Works M4A1 Grizzly is owned by WW2 Armor in Osteen, FL. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This and the next three photos are of the same WW2 Armor's M4A1 Grizzly, but now on the beach at the 2019 Conneaut D-Day 75 at Conneaut, OH. Author's photo added 8-22-2019.

Author's photo added 8-22-2019.

The M4A1 Grizzly in action at Conneaut 2019. Author's photo added 8-22-2019.

This M4A1 Grizzly is part of an Arsenal for Democracy display at the American Heritage Museum. The tank is awaiting the installation of the turret in the display. Author's photo added 8-22-2019.

Author's photo added 8-22-2019.

This M4A1(75) Grizzly is part of the collection of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection at Fort Benning, GA. It is shop No. 93. Author's photo added 10-9-2019.

This Sexton is on display at the Indiana Military Museum in Vincennes, IN. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This Sexton is part of the collection of the Wheels of Liberation located in New Oxford, PA. The very nice restoration includes an all-weather tarp, which is a nice addition to the vehicle. This was on display at the 2019 MVPA convention. Author's photo added 10-9-2019.

The AAF Museum in Danville, VA is the home of this Montreal built Sexton. Author's photo.

The Russell Military Museum in Zion, IL is also the home for this Sexton, along with its Alco-built M7. Author's photo.

In Ottawa, Ontario, visitors can see this Sexton at the Canadian War Museum. Author's photo.

"American Locomotive Went to War"
This post-war booklet is one of the best I have seen that was produced by a company after World War Two. While American Locomotive is most well-known for the armored vehicles it produced, this booklet tells how many other products it produced that were needed to win the war. I want to thank David and Denise Doyle for photographing this, and then providing me with a copy.