Geo D. Whitcomb Company
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing, mining machinery, automobile assembly |
| Founded | 1878 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | George Dexter Whitcomb |
| Defunct | 1956 (brand discontinued) |
| Fate | Acquired by Baldwin Locomotive Works; brand discontinued |
| Successor | Whitcomb Locomotive Company (subsidiary of Baldwin) |
| Headquarters | Rochelle, Illinois (from 1907) , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Netherlands, Europe (military) |
Key people | George Dexter Whitcomb (founder), William Card Whitcomb (president), Carl Heim (VP and Treasurer), George Houston (President under Baldwin) |
| Products | Mining machinery, gasoline and diesel-electric locomotives, armored locomotives, electric mine locomotives, automobiles (Partin-Palmer assembly) |
| Owner | Initially Whitcomb family; later Baldwin Locomotive Works (majority shareholder from 1928) |
| Parent | Baldwin Locomotive Works (from 1928) |
The Geo D. Whitcomb Company was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1878 by George Dexter Whitcomb (1834–1914), initially operating as a machine shop specializing in equipment for coal mining. This enterprise eventually evolved into what became known as The Whitcomb Locomotive Company.
Origins
George Dexter Whitcomb relocated early in his life from Brandon, Vermont to Kent, Ohio. There, he served as a purchasing agent for the Pan-Handle Railroad and was among the founding shareholders and directors of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
In 1868, George’s son, William Card Whitcomb, was born. William completed his studies at the University of Southern California in 1889 and subsequently joined the family enterprise.
By 1870, George was overseeing coal mining operations in Braidwood, Illinois. He secured rights to the Harrison Mining Machine and enhanced it into the successful "Puncher Machine," recognized as the first efficient undercutting device used in the United States. Around 1878, he stepped away from coal mine management to concentrate on manufacturing mining machinery.
In 1886, George moved to California and played a role in founding Glendora. The company was formally incorporated in Illinois in 1896. Around the turn of the century, William assumed the role of vice president; by 1907, following George’s retirement, William had become president and majority shareholder. That same year, the firm created its inaugural successful gasoline-powered locomotive for use in a Central Illinois coal mine.
Rochelle manufacturing facility
The company shifted its operations to Rochelle, Illinois in 1907 to expand production capabilities and meet increasing demand for gasoline locomotives utilized in coal and metal mining sectors. By 1912, they had transitioned into larger premises and discontinued knitting machinery manufacturing to dedicate all efforts solely to locomotive production.
Following George’s passing in 1914, William took complete control of the company’s operations, managing sales, finance, and engineering departments.
During World War I, Whitcomb manufactured several hundred armored narrow-gauge locomotives designed for trench railways in France, earning a Certificate of Merit from the U.S. War Department. Among their innovations was the introduction of the first explosion-proof electric mine locomotive in 1914, which received certification from the U.S. Bureau of Mines. In 1921, the company launched its first electric trolley locomotive and by 1929 had designed the largest gasoline-electric locomotive offered to American railroads. This development was quickly followed by diesel-electric models that significantly influenced rail transportation across the United States.
In September 1926, operational leadership was assigned to Carl Heim of Chicago, who assumed roles as Vice President and Treasurer under William’s direction.
Partin-Palmer automobile assembly
Between 1914 and at least 1916, the Geo D. Whitcomb Company undertook assembly of Brass Era cars at its Rochelle facility for the Partin-Palmer automobile brand.
The Partin Manufacturing Company, a prominent Chicago-based car sales agency, formed a partnership in 1913 with Detroit’s Palmer Motor Car Company to produce cyclecars marketed under the Partin-Palmer name. Initially, production operated out of the Staver-Chicago plant in Chicago. By 1914, after Partin and Palmer had withdrawn from that arrangement, vehicle assembly moved to Rochelle where Geo D. Whitcomb Company took over manufacturing duties.
Facing financial challenges by 1915, the enterprise rebranded its automobiles as Commonwealth models (produced from 1917 to 1922). The 1916 Commonwealth Motors catalog indicates that Partin-Palmer vehicles were assembled under W. C. Whitcomb’s supervision in Rochelle before production later transferred to Joliet. In 1922, designer Leland Goodspeed created a new model that eventually developed into the Checker Cab.
A restored example of a Partin-Palmer automobile is currently on display at the Flagg Township Museum located in Rochelle, Illinois.
Baldwin Locomotive Works
Beginning in 1927, Baldwin Locomotive Works utilized its extensive international sales network to represent Geo D. Whitcomb Co., significantly enhancing Whitcomb’s presence in overseas markets. In 1928, a recapitalization effort by Whitcomb and Heim brought Baldwin into the company as a shareholder owning approximately half the stock, while William Whitcomb and Carl Heim maintained majority ownership. By March 1930, Baldwin had secured three out of seven seats on the board, including the position of President held by George Houston.
Amid the financial turmoil of the Great Depression, Whitcomb’s liquidity problems intensified. In December 1930, Baldwin extended an unsecured loan of $125,000 with conditions that granted it a fourth seat on the board and eventual majority control. By March 1931, a bank had seized Whitcomb’s principal cash reserve to satisfy outstanding debts, rendering the company insolvent.
With control of most board seats, Baldwin guided the company into voluntary bankruptcy proceedings despite opposition from William Whitcomb. This action effectively ended the Whitcomb family’s stewardship of this pioneering industrial enterprise.
Whitcomb Locomotive Company
In April 1931, Baldwin formed the Whitcomb Locomotive Company in Delaware as a wholly owned subsidiary, acquiring Geo D. Whitcomb Company’s assets through a Federal Court sale. William Whitcomb and Carl Heim were removed from their executive roles; Heim was charged but later acquitted of embezzlement.
On November 15, 1932, Whitcomb expanded its operations by purchasing the Milwaukee Locomotive Manufacturing Company, which had formerly been part of National Brake and Electric Company—a subsidiary of Westinghouse Air Brake. This acquisition resulted in Westinghouse becoming a shareholder in Whitcomb.
In February 1934, William Whitcomb initiated legal action against Baldwin seeking compensation for lost stock value; however, this lawsuit was dismissed in 1937.
World War II
During the Second World War, Whitcomb manufactured road switcher locomotives intended for military deployment across Europe and the Middle East. The United Kingdom placed an order for 52 center-cab Bo-Bo locomotives (Whitcomb model 65-DE-14) in 1941 via Baldwin, with additional variants ordered in 1942 and 1943. These units operated in theaters such as North Africa, Palestine, Lebanon, and Italy. Production proceeded swiftly, with deliveries commencing by June 1942 and reaching a rate of one 65-ton locomotive per day by late 1944.
On December 31, 1943, Whitcomb was honored with the Army-Navy "E" Production Award for outstanding manufacturing performance, later receiving two additional stars recognizing sustained excellence through the war’s conclusion.
Building on this success, Whitcomb developed the 65-DE-19A model for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps during 1943–44. These locomotives were deployed across multiple fronts including Britain, France, Italy, and Belgium. They powered the initial Allied trains entering liberated cities such as Rome (July 1944), Paris, Belgium, and Germany (April 1945), playing a crucial role in wartime logistics.
- Post-war
Following World War II, numerous Whitcomb locomotives were sold to civilian and industrial railways throughout the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the Netherlands. However, Dutch operators replaced their diesel engines and traction motors during the early 1950s due to operational performance shortcomings.
Post World War II
In the aftermath of World War II, Whitcomb broadened its production capabilities to accommodate growing demand. In 1947, the company introduced a state-of-the-art warehouse equipped with advanced material handling technologies, featuring a ten-ton overhead crane specifically designed for steel slab storage. The following year, 1948, saw the addition of a combined loading dock and locomotive testing facility aimed at improving manufacturing efficiency.
End
The last locomotive produced by Whitcomb Locomotive Company at the Rochelle plant was dispatched on January 4, 1952 (construction number 61189). This unit was a 25-ton diesel-electric model delivered to the Transportation Corps' Central Procurement Agency and designated as USN No. 65-00330.
Production operations were relocated in February 1952 from Rochelle, Illinois, to Baldwin’s facility in Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Industrial locomotives continued to be manufactured under the Whitcomb brand until December of that year, when the name was discontinued and subsequent products were branded as B-L-H.
Locomotive manufacturing under both Whitcomb and later B-L-H concluded in March 1956 after nearly 5,000 units had been produced. This closure signified the conclusion of an important era in industrial locomotive production, reflecting changes in corporate organization and market positioning within the sector.