Baldwin diesels

[Blutorse4792]

Though they were before my time, I always thought Baldwin diesels were interesting.
They were kind of bizarre looking - first generation diesels styled like steam engines.

Why weren't the Baldwin Locomotive Works as successful as some of the other diesel builders?
They were well-known for their steam engines.

 

[PBY357]

From what I know, Baldwin joined the race for diesels too late. When the PRR retired its steam fleet, Baldwin expected them to buy Baldwin, but instead they opted for EMD GP-7/9's and Baldwin went in the toilet.

 

[bl4882]

One of the major reasons Baldwin fell out of the locomotive business was that they were building their diesels as they built steam engines or as Rolls-Royce builds automobiles. They were individually hand crafted and no two were exactly alike, especially in their internal layout, like wiring, for example. On the other hand EMD brought the auto industry's mastery of assembly line mass production to locomotive building. Aside from options, which generally were also standardized by EMD, diesel mechanics could deal with GP9s, say, exactly the same with standardized replacement parts, which was not always possible with Baldwin products. ALCO also was able to make the transition from unique steam locomotives to standardized diesel locomotives more successfully that Baldwin did, so lasted a lot longer. But it was, I think, the maintenance cost issue that ultimately killed Baldwin as a locomotive builder. It still exists, though, as a manufacturer of heavy equipment, especially cranes.

Bernie

 

[cascaderailroad]

Lots of things in management and overhead costs can bankrupt a perfectly good company that made fine quality locos ... once the stock in a quality company goes south, it is a never ending spiral down the tubes ... If the US Government, or other companies had set up a scheme to purposely bankrupt Baldwin (much like the conspiracy of bankrupting the trolley companies) they drove Baldwin into failure ... possibly the failure had nothing to do with the great quality of Baldwin locomotives ... all it takes is getting enough political lobbyists against a Company ... and they are done ... sabotaged, from the inside ... out.

That's the great thing about the US ... Get enough cronies behind you, to hate a Company ... and it is bankrupt !

 

[JCitron]

Lots of things in management and overhead costs can bankrupt a perfectly good company that made fine quality locos ... once the stock in a quality company goes south, it is a never ending spiral down the tubes ... If the US Government, or other companies had set up a scheme to purposely bankrupt Baldwin (much like the conspiracy of bankrupting the trolley companies) they drove Baldwin into failure ... possibly the failure had nothing to do with the great quality of Baldwin locomotives ... all it takes is getting enough political lobbyists against a Company ... and they are done ... sabotaged, from the inside ... out.

That's the great thing about the US ... Get enough cronies behind you, to hate a Company ... and it is bankrupt !

I think it's more what Bernie has said. Big companies develop a mindset due to their management structure, as you've pointed out, that drives the big organism in a direction. The problem is the old guard doesn't always see beyond what they've been following all along. By the time they switch management teams, and make other changes internally, it's usually too late. Polaroid and Kodak have gone through this as well and you can see where they both are today.

When you look back at the companies such as Alco and Baldwin, they may have been the erectors of the locomotives, but as Bernie pointed out again, they were all custom and then customized again by the railroad. This made even working on their steam engines very difficult and why the big railroads had their own back shops to remake parts. They all had Atlantics, Pacifics, Moguls, GS, Ts, etc., but they weren't the same as any similar model around. Baldwin was still in this mindset and building diesels. It was this slow turn around of the big ship that killed the company.

John

 

[cascaderailroad]

I think we need more Baldwins in Trainz !

 

[bl4882]

"I think we need more Baldwins in Trainz !"

Cascade, you couldn't be more right.

Bernie

 

[JCitron]

"I think we need more Baldwins in Trainz !"

Cascade, you couldn't be more right.

Bernie

Spot on and apparently there's a company in New Jersey that thinks that.

http://binged.it/1bQjcIt

SMS Rail Lines.

Here's a video of their Morristown operations.

http://youtu.be/z56ep5dbSXI

John