How General Motors Killed America's Greatest Locomotive Builder - Baldwin Locomotive Works скачать в хорошем качестве

How General Motors Killed America's Greatest Locomotive Builder - Baldwin Locomotive Works

Founded in Philadelphia in 1831 by jeweler Matthias Baldwin, Baldwin Locomotive Works rose to become the world's largest steam locomotive builder, producing over 70,000 engines. But when General Motors' Electro-Motive Division introduced the diesel-electric FT freight locomotive in the 1930s, Baldwin clung stubbornly to steam technology. During World War II, the War Production Board gave GM exclusive rights to produce road diesels, giving EMD an insurmountable head start. Baldwin's postwar diesel lineup couldn't compete, and even a merger with Lima-Hamilton to form Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton failed to close the gap. By 1956, Baldwin ceased locomotive production entirely — a century-long legacy erased by corporate competition and technological change.