Davenport Locomotive Works

The Davenport Locomotive & Manufacturing Corporation or simply, Davenport Locomotive Works of Davenport, Iowa was a manufacturer of locomotives from 1902 until 1956. In 1901 the company started off as the W. W. Whitehead Company but rebranded in 1902 to produce small, light duty steam locomotives that were marketed as a switcher design for use in all sorts of industrial related applications.
Through the late 1920s Davenport's business was centered around saddle tank switchers such as tiny 0-4-0Ts and 0-6-0Ts (also known as "dinkies"), which became its most popular models during its early years in the business. 
In 1924 the company built the first gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine locomotive and its first diesel locomotive in 1927 for the Northern Illinois Coal Company of Indiana. As the company began transitioning from steam to diesel, interest for its locomotives grew among the general railroad industry. 
In 1933 the company was once again restructured and was renamed the Davenport-Besler Corporation after William George Besler who was a Director at the time of the restructuring. In 1950 the company acquired the locomotive manufacturer H. K. Porter, Inc and from then on produced Porter designed locomotives as well as its own.
Davenport built a number of locomotives for the United States Army during both World Wars. In World War I, Davenport was one of three builders who had supplied locomotives for the 2’ gauge trench railways and in World War II they supplied the United States Army Transportation Corps (USATC) with S-100 Class 0-6-0 switching locomotives.
In May, 1955 Davenport-Besler was purchased by the Canadian Locomotive Company and on May 17, 1956, the company's production plant was shutdown. Over the course of its 50 year production history, Davenport was responsible for creating at least 795 locomotives. 
Despite its closing, Davenport locomotives became commonly used by tourist lines, heritage railways, and railroad museums due to their small and lightweight design along with their much lower operating costs compared to larger locomotives. As a result, many examples of these locomotives still exist in preservation throughout the world.
Category:United States
Category:Davenport locomotives
Category:Companies
Category:Defunct companies
Category:Locomotive manufacturers