Pittsburgh & McKeesport Car & Loco

The Pittsburgh & McKeesport Car & Locomotive Works began as a car shop at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, following the Civil War (1864/65). A machine shop established by Oscar Barnett & Company sometime before 1858 was turned into a car shop. We do not know yet what relationship the car firm had, if any, with its predecessor machine shop. ^{358}

R&LHS Bulletin #103, October 1960 says --

"This firm was a recognized builder of railway cars, but they built a number of standard gauge and narrow gauge locomotives in the 1874-1877 period. Their first output seems to have been a 16-ton engine for Messrs. Joseph Keeling & Co., described as coal merchants of the South Side (Pittsburgh?) This was followed by a 22-ton locomotive for the Buffalo Valley line (Railroad Gazette, July 25, 1874).

"On Sept. 19, 1874 the plant was reported to be very busy and had recently turned out some light engines for a Florida road. A little later, Dec. 26, it was reported to be building "a second engine for the St. John's Ry. in Florida." Apparently it was not delivered until a year later.

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"On July 13, 1877, it was reported that steam motors or dummies were under construction for a street railway between Newport, Ky., and Dayton, Ky., about three miles in length.

"The plant was destroyed by fire on Oct. 2, 1877, together with two shifting engines, nearly completed for an unknown road. (Railroad Gazette, Oct. 12 and Oct. 19). The periodical on Feb. 8, 1878 reported the decision of the stockholders not to rebuild the plant."

White/Locomotives-77 says persons associated with this business include:

John F. Dravo (executive)

J.N. Shallenberger (plant supt.)

J.A. Lantz (engineer or locomotive designer)

advert above includes J.C. Loomis (treasurer)

Note that National Tube Works and Pressed Steel car co. had McKeesport plants