Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works, or MLW, was the Canadian subsidiary of Schenectady, New York based locomotive manufacturer American Locomotive Company (ALCO) who, in 1904,purchased the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal. MLW continued to manufacture locomotives for Canadian and export markets for several years after the demise of ALCO. Eventually Bombardier, who continued in the locomotive business until 1985, acquired the assets and designs of ALCO/MLW.
Schenectady locomotive works, in Schenectady, NY was a dwindling business until the new manager had the insight to join several other very small companies into the one new company, thus ALCO was born. ALCO produced many a locomotive throughout its long life, making its owner and close employees very rich men, and women. ALCo was one of the first railroad related employment opportunities for women. MLW was the Canadian version of ALCo, producing many of ALCo?s famed designs, but giving them different names to distinguish between the American and Canadian versions. For example, an M636 is the MLW variant of the ALCo?s C636. Basically, the same locomotive with a different designation and possibly a few changed spotting differences on the car body. ALCO's assets were sold off in 1969 selling its manufacuring business to MLW in the process. This left MLW with a substantial portion of the Canadian market. MLW sold its business to Bombardier only a few years after ALCo?s closing. Bombardier gave up producing locomotives in 1985. They started producing aircraft and related aerospace items. Now, Bombardier is back, producing locomotives, including their newest, a 5000 h.p.turbine-powered high-speed engine ("Jet train") unveiled October 2002, similar in appearance to their high-speed 8000 h.p. electric locomotives model HHP-8 built 1999-2002 for Amtrak.
The MLW was the builder of the famous mountain engines of the Selkirk class.
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