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Locomotive Builder: Cadillac City Iron Works |
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Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum |
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CADILLAC CITY IRON WORKS by Steven J. McDonald The Cadillac City Iron Works was started in 1876 by William Crippen in 1876 when he built a foundry and machine works in the village of Clam Lake Michigan. The village of Clam Lake was renamed Cadillac in 1877 and became the cradle of development for geared locomotives in the logging industry. Crippen worked with Ephraim Shay in 1877 to manufacture the first Shay locomotive ever made. The success of this first locomotive resulted in more orders from local loggers for locomotives than Crippen could fill. Shay turned to the Lima Machines Works of Lima, Ohio and the Michigan Iron Works of Cadillac to produce improved geared locomotives and patented his idea. Crippen worked on his own improved design for geared locomotives that dispensed with the expensive and complicated connecting rod and side bar gear and substituted a center crank shaft with universal joints. A patent for the improved locomotive was issued October 17, 1882. The Cadillac City Iron Works produced locomotives until 1885.
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© Dale J. Berry, all rights reserved.