Ad from General Motors for its Diesel Locomotives in “The Saturday Evening Post,” March 24, 1951. Art by Blaine
General Motors (GM), through its Electro-Motive Division (EMD), was the single most important manufacturer of diesel locomotives and the primary catalyst for the widespread conversion from steam to diesel power in North America. This ad from 1951 came at the height of this transition, during EMD's period of market dominance.
Before GM's involvement, early diesel-electric locomotives were expensive, unreliable, and mostly relegated to specialized applications like yard switching. The railroad industry was dominated by a handful of established steam locomotive builders. By applying automotive-style mass production and standardization, EMD was able to build a superior, lower-cost product that outcompeted the traditional manufacturers.
In contrast to the custom-built steam engines, EMD produced a standardized line of versatile locomotives that could be mass-produced with interchangeable parts. EMD's massive factory in LaGrange, Illinois could produce up to five locomotives per day during its peak. It manufactured most of its own components, from the diesel engine itself to the traction motors. EMD didn't just sell locomotives; it sold a complete operational system. This included a field-service network, financing plans, and training programs to help railroad personnel operate and maintain the new technology.
EMD did not invent the diesel-electric locomotive, but its technological and marketing prowess was the engine behind the industry-wide conversion. The transition picked up speed in the 1940s and 1950s, largely thanks to EMD's breakthroughs.
"The Rise and Fall of Electro-Motive Diesel" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN54TVGT6xI
[Other Sources: "Diesel Locomotives of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and Today" by Adam Burns at American-Rails.com, and "Diesel-Electric Locomotive" at UP.com]
Ad from General Motors for its Diesel Locomotives in “The Saturday Evening Post,” March 24, 1951. Art by Blaine
General Motors (GM), through its Electro-Motive Division (EMD), was the single most important manufacturer of diesel locomotives and the primary catalyst for the widespread conversion from steam to diesel power in North America. This ad from 1951 came at the height of this transition, during EMD's period of market dominance.
Before GM's involvement, early diesel-electric locomotives were expensive, unreliable, and mostly relegated to specialized applications like yard switching. The railroad industry was dominated by a handful of established steam locomotive builders. By applying automotive-style mass production and standardization, EMD was able to build a superior, lower-cost product that outcompeted the traditional manufacturers.
In contrast to the custom-built steam engines, EMD produced a standardized line of versatile locomotives that could be mass-produced with interchangeable parts. EMD's massive factory in LaGrange, Illinois could produce up to five locomotives per day during its peak. It manufactured most of its own components, from the diesel engine itself to the traction motors. EMD didn't just sell locomotives; it sold a complete operational system. This included a field-service network, financing plans, and training programs to help railroad personnel operate and maintain the new technology.
EMD did not invent the diesel-electric locomotive, but its technological and marketing prowess was the engine behind the industry-wide conversion. The transition picked up speed in the 1940s and 1950s, largely thanks to EMD's breakthroughs.
"The Rise and Fall of Electro-Motive Diesel" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN54TVGT6xI
[Other Sources: "Diesel Locomotives of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and Today" by Adam Burns at American-Rails.com, and "Diesel-Electric Locomotive" at UP.com]