American Car & Foundry Company
First, the American Car & Foundry Company did build cars that were made largely—if not entirely—of wood. Although by 17 March 1899, when AC&F came into being at New York City, a few all-steel cars were being built, most cars were still built largely of wood, though with an ever-increasing amount of steel. Hopper cars were early made entirely of steel, with gondola and flat cars following (though with wood floors). House cars first had steel frames with wooden sheathing. It would be almost the time of the 1st World War before the majority of box cars, tank cars and passenger cars were made entirely of steel.
The second reason the American Car & Foundry Company belongs here is that it was where a lot of the wooden car builders went. There were 13 independent car builders consolidated into AC&F in 1899. {24} During the previous year, those 13 had accounted for 53% of all freight cars built outside the railroads’ own shops. {39} The following table shows the make-up of AC&F:
AC&F was incorporated in New Jersey, with capital of $60 million. The initial Directors of the company were W.K. Bixby of Missouri Car & Foundry, George Hargreaves of Michigan-Peninsular Car Company, J.L. Swyser of Ohio Falls Car Mfg. Company, Fred H. Eaton of Jackson & Woodin Mfg. Company, J.J. Albright of Union Car Company, H.B. Denton of St. Charles Car Company and Charles T. Schoen of Pressed Steel Car Company. {124} Additional companies were added in ensuing years such that there were 18 by 1920. These were —
American Car & Foundry invested heavily in the Berwick, Pennsylvania, plant (formerly Jackson & Woodin). About three million dollars were spent on the purchase of additional land, erection of additional buildings and installation of machinery. By 1902 the Berwick plant had 2,600 employees, with a payroll of $140,000 a month, and a prospect of adding 2,400 more employees when the new facilities then being erected were completed. In 1904, the Berwick plant built the first ever all-steel passenger car. It was the first of a 300 car order for New York City’s IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) subway line. {40} The following year 36 motor cars and 72 trailers were built for the London underground (subway). By then, AC&F had steel shops at St. Louis, Missouri, Detroit, Michigan, Huntington, West Virginia, and Madison, Illinois, as well as at Berwick. In 1907, the Berwick plant employed 5,700. Continued |
