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[[Image:CP 4105.jpg|thumb|325px|right|[[Canadian Locomotive Company]] [[FM CPA16-4|C-Liner]] in [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] livery.  Archives of the Canadian Pacific Railway.]]
The '''Canadian Locomotive Company''', commonly referred to as '''CLC''', was a [[Canada|Canadian]] manufacturer of [[railway]] [[locomotive]]s formerly located in [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]], [[Ontario]].  

==Early beginnings and bankruptcies==
The CLC had its beginnings with a number of predecessor businesses. It began business as the "Ontario Foundry" in [[1848]], but after commencing construction of locomotives it became known as the “Kingston Locomotive Works”. The first [[steam locomotive]] was turned out on Wednesday, [[December 20]], [[1854]]. This was the first of four locomotives for the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] of Canada, which was being built at that time. A further order of five locomotives for the GTR followed in October and November [[1856]]. However, less than three dozen locomotives were built before the business went [[bankruptcy|bankrupt]] in [[1860]].   

The "Canadian Engine & Machinery Company" was a [[shareholder]]-owned successor [[company]] founded in [[1865]]. It too ran into financial troubles during the [[Long Depression|depression]] of [[1878]]-[[1879]] and also went bankrupt. It was re-organized in February [[1878]] as the "Canadian Locomotive and Engine Company Ltd." After yet another re-organization in April [[1881]], the plant was updated and expanded considerably. The [[syndicate]] of [[investors]] who owned the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] also owned a large portion of the CL&EC, and when funds were need to further work on the CPR, their shares were sold to the respected locomotive builder [[North British Locomotive Company|Dübs and Company]] <!----------JUST FOR NOW, UNTIL A SEPARATE DUBS ARTICLE IS STARTED-------------> , of [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]], which eventually gained control effective [[January 1]], [[1888]]. CL&EC became a major supplier to the CPR, delivering nearly one-third of their locomotives over many decades. These "Dübs-boilered" locomotives were regarded as durable and long lasting.

==CLC is formed and finds modest success==
In January [[1900]], following the decision of both the CPR and the GTR to build their own locomotives, the CL&EC once again became insolvent, and the plant was closed. It was bought by new investors and incorporated in February [[1901]] as the "Canadian Locomotive Company Ltd."  Improvements followed which allowed production of one locomotive per week. Re-organization once again took place under new management in June [[1911]] although the name remained the same. 

CLC contributed to the [[war effort]] in two [[world wars]] by manufacturing [[armaments]] and [[munitions]], as did the competing shops of the [[Montreal Locomotive Works]], the CPR, and others. Large numbers of locomotives were also built for the war effort and for reconstruction afterwards. 

By the end of World War II steam technology was at its peak, but production was declining except for [[export]]s to [[France]], [[Belgium]] and [[India]]. CLC felt its future lay with [[diesel locomotive]]s, but lacking expertise it sought out opportunities with existing builders in the [[United States]]. 

==Representing American manufacturers==
The CLC in [[1948]] became the Canadian representative for [[Baldwin Locomotive Works]] which also owned [[Whitcomb Locomotive Works]]. However, the result of this collaboration was less than outstanding &mdash; the [[Stirling engine]]d-Whitcomb locomotives built for the [[Canadian National Railway]] proved problematic, and orders for Baldwin-designed locomotives were modest. CLC then turned to [[Fairbanks-Morse]], a manufacturer of [[opposed piston]] diesel engines primarily used in [[maritime]] applications that was itself attempting to break into the railway locomotive market.  Baldwin’s shares in CLC were acquired in [[1950]] by the newly formed Canadian Fairbanks Morse.  Orders were more extensive and longer lasting.  However, the Fairbanks-Morse designs proved to be no match in the marketplace for the [[Alco|ALCO]]-designed locomotives offered by the Montreal Locomotive Works or to the [[Electro-Motive Division]]-designs constructed by [[General Motors Diesel]].  By [[1957]], orders had fallen off and Fairbanks-Morse eventually left the locomotive business in both Canada and the United States.  Following the departure of Baldwin and MLW, the Canadian market was left to just two companies, [[GE Transportation Systems|General Electric]] and General Motors Diesel.

Before this however, CLC also sought more opportunities in the export market with the involvement of [[government agency|government agencies]], exporting small [[industrial]] locomotives of [[Davenport Locomotive Works|Davenport-Besler]] design. In [[1955]] CLC bought the Davenport-Besler Corp. Inc., including its inventory of [[H. K. Porter, Inc|Porter]] locomotives. A Canadian-only DTC (Diesel Torque Converter) was built for the CPR featuring a diesel-[[hydraulic]] design rather than the conventional [[diesel-electric]]. 

On [[July 26]], [[1965]] CLC became "Fairbanks-Morse (Canada) Ltd.", and was no longer an independent Canadian company. Locomotive construction dwindled even further as the company branched out into industrial machinery, marine engines, weigh scales, ''etc''. None of this could save the company. Declining business and a [[labour union|union]] [[Strike action|strike]] in April [[1969]] closed the plant that June. It was demolished in August [[1971]] after having constructed over 3000 locomotives from its earliest beginnings, making it at the time, Canada’s second largest commercial builder after Montreal Locomotive Works.

== References ==

* {{Book reference | Title = Constructed in Kingston: A History of the Canadian Locomotive Companies 1854 to 1968 | Author = Mc.Queen, Donald R.| Year = 2000 | Publisher = Canadian Railroad Historical Association, Kingston Division | ID = ISBN 0-9698285-1-9 }}

==Link==

[http://trainweb.org/clc Canadian Locomotive Company]

{{Template:CLC diesels}}

[[Category:Defunct railway companies of Canada]]
[[Category: Locomotive manufacturers]]